Premature Infant Pain Profile Scale Research Articles

Effect of Non-Pharmacological Methods in the Reduction of Neonatal Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

In neonatology, neonates have traditionally been considered incapable of feeling pain, due to the immaturity of their nervous system. Currently, there is sufficient information on the perception of pain in neonates; however, this treatment at this crucial stage for development requires a better approach. For this reason, the aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of non-pharmacological analgesia interventions during heel prick, and to assess their effects on heart rate (HR), premature infant pain profile (PIPP) and O2 saturation. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed following the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), and the Cochrane collaboration handbook. The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and Science Direct were searched until the end of January 2022. The DerSimonian and Laird methods were used to estimate the effect size with a 95% confidence interval (CI95%). Effect size estimates were 0.05 (95% CI: -0.19, 0.29) for HR, -0.02 (95% CI: -0.24, 0.21) for PIPP scale, and -0.12 (95% CI: -0.29, 0.05) for O2 saturation. The non-pharmacological interventions analysed (breastfeeding, kangaroo-mother care method, oral sucrose and non-nutritive sucking) were not statistically significant in reducing neonatal pain, but did influence the decrease in pain score and a faster stabilisation of vital signs.

Assessment of newborn pain during arterial puncture: an observational analytical study.

ObjetivoAvaliar a intensidade de dor durante a punção arterial realizada em recém-nascidos internados em uma unidade de cuidados progressivos neonatais e avaliar a percepção do profissional em relação à dor neonatal.MétodosEstudo observacional analítico, em que foram observadas 62 punções arteriais realizadas em 35 neonatos. Avaliou-se a dor durante a coleta pela escala Premature Infant Pain Profile. Os profissionais responsáveis pela coleta avaliaram a dor pela escala numérica verbal de zero a dez. Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística descritiva por meio do programa Statistical Package for the Social Science.ResultadosEntre os recém-nascidos, 30,6% (n = 19) não tiveram dor ou tiveram dor leve (0 - 6), 24,2% (n = 15) apresentaram dor leve a moderada (7 - 11) e 45,2% (28) dor intensa (12 - 21). Constatou-se que os profissionais identificam a dor durante o procedimento.ConclusãoA punção arterial é considerada um procedimento doloroso e pode resultar em dor leve a intensa, sendo necessária a adoção de estratégias sistematizadas de avaliação, possibilitando a intervenção terapêutica adequada.

Clinical and Economic Evaluation of the Impact of Midazolam on Morphine Therapy for Pain Relief in Critically Ill Ventilated Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

BackgroundThe impact of midazolam on the overall performance of morphine therapy for pain in ventilated neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has never been investigated.ObjectiveThis study is a clinical and economic analysis of morphine monotherapy versus morphine plus midazolam in ventilated infants with RDS.MethodsA decision-analytic model from the hospital perspective was developed to follow the consequences of the use of the study drugs. Clinical and resource utilization data were extracted based on a retrospective cohort study of 104 neonates with RDS receiving morphine alone versus in combination with midazolam at the main neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Qatar, from 2014 to 2019. Primary outcome measures were the analgesia success rate, via the Premature Infant Pain Profile scale, and overall costs of therapies. Multivariate statistical analyses confirmed no significant variations in baseline characteristics between study groups.ResultsWith 0.05 significance and 80% power, morphine had a higher rate of successful analgesia (65.4 vs. 34.6%; risk ratio 1.91; 95% confidence interval 1.11–3.28; p = 0.019). Overall costs were also in favor of morphine compared with its combination with midazolam, with cost savings of 40,959 Qatari Riyal ($US11,222), year 2019/20 values. The Monte Carlo analyses confirmed the economic advantage of morphine alone in 100% of cases and demonstrated that it is not sensitive to uncertainties in study model inputs.ConclusionsMorphine monotherapy enabled enhanced pain relief over its combination with midazolam in the NICU, at a reduced overall cost. Morphine alone, therefore, seems to be a dominant analgesia strategy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40272-020-00432-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Repeating a dose of sucrose for heel prick procedure in preterms is not effective in reducing pain: a randomised controlled trial.

Oral sucrose is included in almost all recommendations for treatment of pain in newborns, but evidence if multiple doses might be more effective than a single standard dose is lacking. We designed a single-centre, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. We enrolled preterm infants needing the heel prick procedure. Each enrolled infant was randomised to receive a single standard dose of sucrose 2 min before or a double dose of sucrose 2 min before, and 30 s after heel prick. Primary outcome was the efficacy of the two interventions tested by the premature infant pain profile-PIPP scale obtained at 30 s, 60 s, and 120 s after heel prick. Secondary outcome was the evaluation of the concordance between the PIPP scale and other pain scores more feasible in clinical practice. Seventy-two infants were randomised. No difference in pain perception as measured by the PIPP scale was found between the groups: median PIPP values 4.0(IQR 3.0-4.0) vs 3.0(IQR 3.0-4.0) at baseline; 6.0(IQR 5.0-10.0) vs 6.0(IQR 4.0-8.5) at 30 s; 6.0(IQR 4.0-7.0) vs 5.0(IQR 4.0-8.5) at 60 s and 5.0(IQR 4.0-7.0) vs 5.0(IQR 4.0-7.5) at 2 min, in the experimental and standard treatment groups, respectively (p = 0.9020). There was no correlation between PIPP scores and other pain scales.Conclusion: We do not recommend doubling the dose during heel prick.What is Known:• Oral sucrose is included in almost all international position papers and recommendations for the treatment of mild to moderate pain in newborns, associated with non-nutritive sucking and facilitated tucking• Premature infant pain profile (PIPP) scale is the gold standard for evaluation of pain in preterms but it is difficult to use in clinical practiceWhat is New:• Repeating a dose of 24% sucrose is not effective in reducing pain during the recovery phase of a skin breaking procedure• Other pain scales, easier to use in clinical practice, are not comparable with PIPP for the evaluation of procedural pain in preterms.

Clinical and Economic Analysis of Morphine Versus Fentanyl in Managing Ventilated Neonates With Respiratory Distress Syndrome in the Intensive Care Setting

PurposeMorphine and fentanyl opioids are common analgesic agents for consideration in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and economic impact of morphine versus fentanyl in neonates with RDS undergoing MV. MethodsRetrospective cost-effectiveness analysis of critically ill neonates with RDS receiving standard doses of morphine versus fentanyl at Women's Wellness and Research Center, Qatar. Clinical data of neonates were extracted from medical records of patients from 2014 to 2016. A decision analytic model based on the hospital's perspective was constructed to follow possible consequences of the initial dosing of analgesia, before potential titration. Primary end points were successful pain relief rate based on the Premature Infant Pain Profile scale and overall direct medical cost of therapy. Study population of 126 neonates was used to achieve results with 80% power and 0.05 significance. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to enhance robustness of conclusions against input uncertainties and to increase generalizability of results. FindingsMorphine achieved a success of 68% versus 43% with fentanyl (risk ratio = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.16–2.56; P = 0.0075). Morphine was associated with a minimal incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of USD 135 per additional case of successful pain relief over fentanyl. Higher morphine cost was reported in 2% of cases. Sensitivity analysis found model insensitivity to input uncertainties except NICU stay and cost of MV. ImplicationsThis is the first cost-effectiveness evaluation of morphine versus fentanyl in the NICU. Morphine significantly improved the relieve of pain over fentanyl. It had 98% probability of dominance over fentanyl. Results in this study support the use of morphine over fentanyl as first-line monotherapy with MV in NICU settings.

Comparison of pain response to vein puncture versus heel lance among preterm infants undergoing blood sampling

Background Pain in neonates is largely underestimated and neglected. Accurate pain assessment is the first step toward effective pain management. Skin-breaking procedures such as heel lances, vein punctures, and arterial punctures are the most frequently performed painful procedures in neonatal ICUs. Few studies have been done to compare preterm infants’ pain response to heel lance vs venipuncture. Aim The aim was to compare pain response to venipuncture vs heel lance among preterm infants undergoing blood sampling. Materials and methods A comparative descriptive research design was used on a convenient sample of 60 preterm infants less than 37 weeks of gestation who were undergoing blood sampling for complete blood count, blood chemistry, or glucose estimation. Neonatal assessment sheet, blood sampling assessment sheet, and premature infant pain profile scale were used to collect data from two neonatal ICUs of both Cairo University Children Hospital (El Monira) and El Manial University Hospital (Kaser El Aini). After a written consent from parents, the same preterm infant pain response was continuously monitored 30 s before procedure and up to 6 min during the procedure over 2 days (one for venipuncture and one for heel lance). Results The total mean premature infant pain profile score significantly increased during venipuncture than heel lance. Behavioral state was significantly more unstable during vein puncture than heel lance. Venipuncture procedure significantly increased heart rate and decreased oxygen saturation more than heel lance. Conclusion Preterm infants perceive pain as demonstrated by premature infant pain profile scale and vein puncture is the more painful procedure than heel lancing for blood sampling in preterm infants. Recommendations Premature infant pain profile scale should be included in the routine assessment for preterm infants.

Study of pain response in neonates during venipuncture with a view to analyse utility of topical anaesthetic agent for alleviating pain

BackgroundNeonates being nonverbal are unable to express their pain leading to underestimation of their pain and hence insufficient pain relief. Neonatal pain is assessed by pain scales based on the behavioural and physiological changes that occur in response to painful stimuli. This cross sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre using Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) score with 4% lidocaine as local anaesthetic agent to produce surface anaesthesia of skin prior to intravenous cannulation. MethodsSample size was collected by simple randomisation method. Our study groups included 50 term and 50 preterm neonates with POG of 28–40 weeks requiring IV cannulation. Heart rate (HR), SpO2, facial expressions and behavioural state were noted before venipuncture and after venipuncture using PIPP scale. Same cohort of patients was assessed for pain response after applying 4% lidocaine cream during future venipuncture with help of PIPP score. ResultsThe PIPP score in preterm group before and after anesthesia was 11.28±3.72 and 9.58±3.39. PIPP score in term group before and after anesthesia was 11.54±2.84 and 9.04±2.97. There was reduction in mean PIPP score after using topical anesthetic agent in both study groups and the results were statistically significant. ConclusionThis study found that topical anesthetic agents were effective in reducing pain during venipuncture. Based on the facts of the study, it is recommended that pain scoring should be a part of routine monitoring in neonatal intensive care units and appropriate measures should be used to reduce pain.

Comparison of Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale with Premature Infant Pain Profile for the Assessment of Acute Prolonged Pain in Neonates on Assisted Ventilation: A Prospective Observational Study.

Aim:This study aimed to compare Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) with Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) for the assessment of acute prolonged pain in ventilated neonates.Methods:This study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1 of the study, we assessed whether neonates on assisted ventilation experienced acute prolonged pain. In phase 2, the aim was to compare N-PASS with PIPP for the assessment of acute prolonged pain in neonates on assisted ventilation..Design:This is a prospective observational study.Study Setting and Duration:This study was conducted at a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit for 6 months.Inclusion Criteria:Neonates on assisted ventilation for >48 h were selected for this study.Exclusion Criteria:Neonates with lethal congenital anomalies and severe encephalopathy were excluded from the study. N-PASS and PIPP tools were used to assess acute prolonged pain in ventilated neonates. Taking PIPP as gold standard and N-PASS as a new test, the correlation coefficient was calculated. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were also computed. The time taken to administer the tools was also computed.Results:The average PIPP score for ventilated neonates was 8.33. The correlation coefficient of N-PASS when compared to PIPP was 0.62. The average time taken to apply the N-PASS scale was 4.42 min as compared to 8.20 min for PIPP scale. In term neonates, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of N-PASS were 75%, 100%, 100%, and 60%, respectively. The corresponding values in preterm neonates were lesser.Conclusions:The study proves that neonates on assisted ventilation experience acute prolonged pain. N-PASS is clinically reliable and valid to assess acute prolonged pain in ventilated term neonates. The N-PASS is quicker than PIPP in assessing acute prolonged pain in ventilated neonates.Future Directions:The modified N-PASS tool (including the gestational age) should be developed.

Effect of Breast-Feeding and Maternal Holding in Relieving Painful Responses in Full-Term Neonates: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of breast-feeding with maternal holding as compared with maternal holding without breast-feeding in relieving painful responses during heel lance blood drawing in full-term neonates. A convenience sample of 128 full-term newborn infants, in their fourth to sixth days of life, undergoing heel lance blood drawing for screening of hypothyroidism were included in the study. The neonates were randomly assigned into 2 equivalent groups. During heel lance blood drawing for infants, they either breast-fed with maternal holding (group I) or were held in their mother's lap without breast-feeding (group II). The painful responses were assessed simultaneously by 2 neonatal nurses blinded to the purpose of the study. Outcome measures for painful responses of the full-term neonates were evaluated with the Premature Infant Pain Profile scale. Independent t test showed significant differences in Premature Infant Pain Profile scale scores among the 2 groups (t = -8.447, P = .000). Pain scores were significantly lower among infants who were breast-fed in addition to maternal holding. Evidence from this study indicates that the combination of breast-feeding with maternal holding reduces painful responses of full-term infants during heel lance blood drawing.

O-116 Premature Infant Pain Profile (pipp) In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Study

<h3>Background and aims</h3> Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) has been studied and validated in intensive care units but seldom in neonates with ventilatory support. The aim of the study was to assess PIPP (feasibility, inter-rater reproductibility, easiness) while endotracheal suctionning in ventilated newborns in order to use it later for pain treatment monitoring. <h3>Methods</h3> Prospective study done in a level III neonatal intensive care unit, from 2013 march 5th to 2013 April 25th. 25 newborns with invasive mechanically ventilatory support were involved and they were filmed during the procedure. Four observators noted individually PIPPscale for each baby: the patient’s nurse and a department’s resident in the room and, an NIDCAP experienced paediatrician and the resident making the study, after viewing the video. The inter-rater agreement was assessed by the Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. <h3>Results</h3> 100% of the PIPP scales were done. The global inter-rater agreement was poor, with a kappa coefficient at 0,303 (0,035–0,571) and especially for the mimic items. 33% of the nurses found the PIPP scale difficult to use. Mean PIPP during endotracheal suctionning varied from 8.7 to 9.3. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Pain assessment by PIPP scale was poorly reproducible and hard to nurse’s use in the ventilated newborns. Neonatal pain and sedation protocol guided by PIPP scale seems us to be difficult to implement in intubated neonates.

Nonpharmacological Techniques to Reduce Pain in Preterm Infants Who Receive Heel-Lance Procedure: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The heel-lance (HL) method for blood collection from the newborn is controversial for the pain it causes. This is the first randomized controlled trial on the management and reduction of pain using the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ("Sonata K. 448") in premature infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study has compared nonpharmacological techniques with standard procedure for reducing pain during HL procedure. Thirty-five premature infants were enrolled, each for 3 HL procedures, of which each was randomized to 1 of the 3 study arms. Arms were then compared in terms of the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) changes by analysis of variance (ANOVA). One hundred five HL procedures were available for analysis (35 standard procedure, 35 music, 35 glucose). Median baseline PIPP was 3, and median PIPP after the HL procedure was 5. PIPP scale change was +3 in the control arm, +1 in the glucose arm, +2 in the music arm (p = .008). Both glucose and music were safe and effective in limiting pain increase when compared to standard procedure in HL procedures in preterm infants.

Role of Sucrose in Reducing Painful Response to Orogastric Tube Insertion in Preterm Neonates

To study whether orogastric tube (OGT) insertion elicits a painful response in preterm neonates, and the role of oral sucrose in reducing this pain. This double blinded, randomized control trial was conducted in the neonatal intensive care units of Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital. Clinically stable preterms within the first 7 postnatal days, who had not received painful stimulus 30 min prior to intervention, and who required routine OGT insertion were included. Lingual 24 % sucrose or distilled water (1 ml) was administered 2 min before OGT insertion. The primary outcome was painful response assessed by Premature Infant Pain Profile scale (PIPP), while the secondary outcomes were heart rate and SpO2 changes. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT 00949104) RESULTS: Sixty preterms were randomized in each group. Final analysis was carried out on 52 subjects in the placebo group and 53 in the sucrose group. The mean intra-procedure PIPP scores were significantly higher than the mean pre-procedure PIPP scores, in the gestational age groups of more than 34 wk, and 32 wk to 33 wk, 6 d, in both the placebo (7.25 vs. 3, and 8.14 vs. 3.14, respectively) and sucrose arm (8.06 vs. 3.21, and 7.18 vs. 4.18, respectively). The mean PIPP scores assessed at 30 s post procedure in the sucrose group were significantly lower than the placebo group (4.32 vs. 5.6, p = 0.014). No significant adverse events were seen. OGT insertion causes pain in preterms and single dose lingual 24 % sucrose may alleviate this pain.

Analgesic Effect of Breast Milk Versus Sucrose for Analgesia During Heel Lance in Late Preterm Infants

The purpose of this trial was to investigate whether breast milk (either breastfed or bottle-fed) has a better analgesic effect than sucrose in newborns born at a postmenstrual age between 32 and 37 weeks. We conducted a randomized controlled trial at a secondary care neonatal unit in the Netherlands on 71 preterm neonates (postmenstrual age at birth 32-37 weeks), undergoing heel lance with an automated piercing device. Newborns were randomly assigned to breast milk (either breastfed or bottle-fed) administered during heel lance or oral sucrose administered before heel lance. We assessed the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) score (range, 0-21) to investigate whether there was a difference in pain score between neonates receiving breast milk and those receiving sucrose solution. There was no significant difference in mean PIPP score between neonates receiving breast milk (6.1) and those receiving sucrose (5.5), with a mean difference of 0.6 (95% confidence interval -1.6 to 2.8; P = .58). From this study, it cannot be concluded that breast milk has a better analgesic effect than sucrose in late preterm infants. From the results, it follows with 95% confidence that the analgesic effect of breast milk is not >1.6 points better and not > 2.8 points worse on the PIPP scale (SD 3.7) than the analgesic effect of sucrose in late preterm infants.

Differences between uni- and multidimensional scales for assessing pain in term newborn infants at the bedside

OBJECTIVES:This study sought to determine the level of agreement between behavioral and multidimensional pain assessment scales in term newborn infants submitted to an acute nociceptive stimulus.METHODS:This cross-sectional study was performed on 400 healthy term newborns who received an intramuscular injection of vitamin K during the first 6 hours of life. Two behavioral pain scales (the Neonatal Facial Coding System and the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain) and one multidimensional tool (the Premature Infant Pain Profile) were applied by a single observer before the procedure, during cleansing, during injection and two minutes after injection. The Cochran Q, McNemar and kappa tests were used to compare the presence and degree of agreement between the three scales. The Hotelling T2 test was used to compare the groups of newborns for which the scales showed agreement or disagreement. A generalized linear regression was used to compare the results of the Neonatal Facial Coding System and the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain across the four study time points.RESULTS:The neonates studied had a gestational age of 39±1 weeks, a birth weight of 3169±316 g and and postnatal age of 67±45 minutes. During the stimulus procedure, 80% of the newborns exhibited pain behaviors according to the Neonatal Facial Coding System and the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain, and 70% experienced pain according to the Premature Infant Pain Profile (p<0.001). The frequencies of the detection of pain using the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain and the Neonatal Facial Coding System were similar. The characteristics of the neonates were not associated with the level of agreement between the scales.CONCLUSION:The Neonatal Facial Coding System and the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain behavioral scales are more sensitive for the identification of pain in healthy term newborn infants than the multidimensional Premature Infant Pain Profile scale.

Co-bedding as a Comfort measure For Twins undergoing painful procedures (CComForT Trial)

BackgroundCo-bedding, a developmental care strategy, is the practice of caring for diaper clad twins in one incubator (versus separating and caring for each infant in separate incubators), thus creating the opportunity for skin-to-skin contact and touch between the twins. In studies of mothers and their infants, maternal skin-to-skin contact has been shown to decrease procedural pain response according to both behavioral and physiological indicators in very preterm neonates. It is uncertain if this comfort is derived solely from maternal presence or from stabilization of regulatory processes from direct skin contact. The intent of this study is to compare the comfort effect of co-bedding (between twin infants who are co-bedding and those who are not) on infant pain response and physiologic stability during a tissue breaking procedure (heelstick).Methods/DesignMedically stable preterm twin infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be randomly assigned to a co-bedding group or a standard care group. Pain response will be measured by physiological and videotaped facial reaction using the Premature Infant Pain Profile scale (PIPP). Recovery from the tissue breaking procedure will be determined by the length of time for heart rate and oxygen saturation to return to baseline. Sixty four sets of twins (n = 128) will be recruited into the study. Analysis and inference will be based on the intention-to-treat principle.DiscussionIf twin contact while co-bedding is determined to have a comforting effect for painful procedures, then changes in current neonatal care practices to include co-bedding may be an inexpensive, non invasive method to help maintain physiologic stability and decrease the long term psychological impact of procedural pain in this high risk population. Knowledge obtained from this study will also add to existing theoretical models with respect to the exact mechanism of comfort through touch.Trial registrationNCT00917631

Electroencephalographic Response to Procedural Pain in Healthy Term Newborn Infants

The current study aimed to characterize changes in EEG-related measures after noxious stimuli in neonates and to assess their potential utility as measures of pain and/or discomfort during neonatal intensive care. Seventy-two healthy term infants were investigated: Twenty-eight had a non-skin-breaking pin-prick on the heel, randomized to receive either oral glucose (n = 16) or water (n = 12) before the stimulus. Twenty-one infants were studied during a venous blood sample from the dorsum of the hand, 23 infants during a capillary heel stick. Behavioral pain responses were assessed with the Premature Infant Pain Profile Scale. The stimulus evoked a significant increase in higher frequency components (10-30 Hz) which also correlated to behavioral measures. The frontotemporal localization of the increased activity with frequency bands similar to electromuscular artifacts and the relation to behavioral measures confirmed that this activity corresponds to an increase in muscle tone. There was no change in frontal EEG asymmetry in any of the groups. The present results indicate that responses in cortical activity recorded by EEG are not useful for clinical assessment of infants' responses to noxious stimuli.

Analgesic effect of breast feeding in term neonates: randomised controlled trial

Objectives: To investigate whether breast feeding is effective for pain relief during venepuncture in term neonates and compare any effect with that of oral glucose combined with a pacifier.Design: Randomised...

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<h3>Abstract</h3> <b>Objectives:</b> To investigate whether breast feeding is effective for pain relief during venepuncture in term neonates and compare any effect with that of oral glucose combined with a pacifier. <b>Design:</b> Randomised controlled trial. <b>Participants:</b> 180 term newborn infants undergoing venepuncture; 45 in each group. <b>Interventions:</b> During venepuncture infants were either breast fed (group 1), held in their mother9s arms without breast feeding (group 2), given 1 ml of sterile water as placebo (group 3), or given 1 ml of 30% glucose followed by pacifier (group 4). Video recordings of the procedure were assessed by two observers blinded to the purpose of the study. <b>Main outcome measures:</b> Pain related behaviours evaluated with two acute pain rating scales: the Douleur Aiguë Nouveau-né scale (range 0 to 10) and the premature infant pain profile scale (range 0 to 18). <b>Results:</b> Median pain scores (interquartile range) for breast feeding, held in mother9s arms, placebo, and 30% glucose plus pacifier groups were 1 (0–3), 10 (8.5-10), 10 (7.5-10), and 3 (0–5) with the Douleur Aiguë Nouveau-né scale and 4.5 (2.25-8), 13 (10.5-15), 12 (9–13), and 4 (1–6) with the premature infant pain profile scale. Analysis of variance showed significantly different median pain scores (P&lt;0.0001) among the groups. There were significant reductions in both scores for the breast feeding and glucose plus pacifier groups compared with the other two groups (P&lt;0.0001, two tailed Mann-Whitney U tests between groups). The difference in Douleur Aiguë Nouveau-né scores between breast feeding and glucose plus pacifier groups was not significant (P=0.16). <b>Conclusions:</b> Breast feeding effectively reduces response to pain during minor invasive procedure in term neonates. <h3>What is already known on this topic</h3> Current pharmacological treatments are not appropriate for pain relief during minor procedures like venepuncture or heel prick in newborn infants Oral sweet solutions, non-nutritive sucking, and skin to skin contact reduce procedural pain in newborn infants <h3>What this study adds</h3> Breast feeding during a painful procedure effectively reduces the response to pain in newborn infants The analgesic properties of breast feeding are at least as potent as the combination of sweet solutions and a pacifier