INFANTS' RESPONSES TO VARIED PAIN STIMULI.
Contributors: University Of Illinois At Chicago, Health Sciences Center.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 108
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: There is growing consensus that infants not only experience pain, but may also remember the pain experience. The purpose of this study was to better understand the pain experience for the infant by observing reactions to a painful stimulus. Of special interest was the behavior when the intensity of the stimulus was varied. The study also tested a nursing intervention for minimizing pain during injection. Sixty infants, 2-6 months of age, scheduled to receive routine DPT immunizations, were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. Injection sites were sprayed for 2-3 seconds with either Frigiderm, a skin coolant, or compressed air, respectively, prior to the injection. The infants were video and audio-taped for sixty seconds. Tapes were coded by a "blinded" research assistant. The variables of interest were (1) body movements, (2) facial expression, and (3) cry. The MANOVA revealed significant effects for the type of spray and the age of the infants. The univariate ANOVA revealed significant differences for several indicators. Treated infants startled less with the needle insertion and took longer to begin crying, than control infants. Infants under 16 weeks displayed the pain expression longer, more symmetrical movements and had longer periods of intense crying, than the older infants. Older infants had longer periods of protest crying. Other behaviors were not significantly different.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-10, Section: B, page: 4454.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, 1989.

School code: 0806.