An experimental study to evaluate theeffectiveness of breast milk in pain reduction during invasive procedure

Unfortunately minimizing the trauma of medical interventions has not kept pace with the technologic advances. Prevention and effective reduction of pain in neonates will help in reducing the immediate and long-term effects including altered pain sensitivity and reactivity and other clinical outcomes. Routine immunization injections are the most common painful procedures in childhood.

To evaluate the effectiveness of breast milk on behavioural and physiological pain responses of infants during administration of first dose of DPT immunization.

A pre-test post test control group design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of breast milk on behavioural and physiological pain responses of infants during administration of first dose of DPT immunization on term infants, advised for the first dose of DPT immunization at immunization room government Hospital New-Delhi.

After random assignment putting the infant for breast feeding till satisfied. Sixty infants randomized to receive DPT immunization; out of it thirty infants received breast feeding before the DPT administration. Baseline behavioural and physiological pain responses in terms of NIPS score, heart rate, oxygen saturation measured followed by administration of DPT maintaining the aseptic techniques on anterolateral aspect of left thigh. To assess pain responses during the procedure and after at one minute interval for three minutes, Neonatal Infant Pain Scale [NIPS], monitoring heart rate, oxygen saturation using finger pulse oximeter [MDI 300CI]

The mean behavioural pain response score as evidenced by Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) score was found to be significantly different in experimental group than the control group (“F ”df1, 58–17.20). The mean physiological pain response score (heart rate) found to be significantly different in experimental group than control group (“F ”df1, 58=28.03,). Mean physiological pain response score (oxygen saturation) found to be different in both groups (“F ”df1, 58=7.16). There was positive significant correlation between behavioural pain response and physiological pain response (heart rate) as measured by NIPS and Heart Rate both in experimental and control group(“r=0.48, 0.62). The behavioural and physiological pain responses were independent of gender, post natal age and weight of the infant.

Breast feeding prior to single invasive procedure has been significantly effective in reducing the intensity of behavioural and physiological pain responses of the infants undergoing invasive procedure (immunization). There was correlation between behavioural pain response and physiological pain responses.