NEEDLES are used for babies’ early childhood vaccinations and medical care during childhood illnesses. These are essential, but painful. They cause distress for the babies and often their parents/caregivers, and can result in future anxiety and fear of needles.
Now, breastfeeding babies during vaccinations may make them cry less and feel less pain than babies who are soothed in other ways. Different studies done in babies have shown that breastfeeding is a good way to reduce the pain babies’ feel. Breastfeeding when possible and feasible may also help to comfort babies and reduce their pain beyond the newborn period and throughout infancy.
Researchers examined data on breastfeeding and infant pain during vaccinations from 10 previously published studies with a total of 1,066 baby’s ages one to 12 months. It compared its effectiveness in reducing pain during vaccinations (as scored by crying time and pain scores), to holding, babies lying flat, or the giving of water or sweet solutions.
The researchers report in the Cochrane library that on the average breastfeeding babies cried for 38 seconds less than babies who didn’t nurse during vaccinations. Pain scores based on observations of babies’ behaviour was also lower when infants were breastfed during needle sticks than when they were not.
Newborn babies sometimes undergo painful procedures. Medicine for pain relief is commonly given for major painful procedures, but may not be given for minor painful procedures such as blood sampling by heel prick or injections. Non-pharmacological strategies are adopted to reduce pain in babies, such as holding, swaddling them, sucking on a pacifier, or giving sweet solutions (such as sucrose or glucose).
Breastfeeding appeared to be more effective at pain reduction than sugar water, pain creams or sprays at the injection site, maternal cuddling or massage, according to data from four studies that examined these alternatives. Also, no studies reported any harm associated with breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding distracts comforts and soothes infants and experts think endorphins in a mother’s milk may also act as a painkiller. Even a very small amount can help reduce pain during vaccinations. Amazingly, Dr Babatunde Osinaike, a consultant anaesthetist, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan said; “Some mothers do it without knowing that they are actually getting that benefit from it; they use breastfeeding just to distract the baby so that he allows that procedure.”
Dr Osinaike stated that pain in newborn babies is real and studies have shown that when nothing is done to take care of pain in them, it can actually have consequences later on in life.
Increased pain sensitivity, decreased immune system functioning, increased avoidance behaviour and social hyper vigilance are all possible outcomes of untreated pain in early infancy.
Dr Kemi Tongo, a consultant pediatrician, UCH, Ibadan, stated that breastfeeding is a pain-relieving method or mechanism in Nigeria when there is a need to have a needle prick, give an injection or take blood sample in the care of newborns.
She declared that at the UCH, Ibadan, mothers are usually asked to breastfeed at such times because breastfeeding helps to calm these children down faster.
However, she said, some mothers cannot stand seeing a health work prick their babies, and as such its use in pain control during some painful procedures like male circumcision may be reduced.
Dr Tongo added; “For mothers that cannot withstand their babies undergoing a painful procedure, they are asked to express the breast milk into a cup. As you are doing the procedure you will also be given the breast milk either through a syringe or with a spoon. It relieves the pain; it helps the child to relax better.”
She, however, said breast milk is preferred to sucrose solution.
To assess the potential for breastfeeding to curb pain in babies after the first month of life, researchers analysed data from studies that compared nursing to alternative pain relief methods such as bottles of formula, pacifiers, cuddling, distraction, topical analgesics, and skin-to-skin contact.
These previously published studies looked at a variety of needle stick procedures in addition to vaccinations, including blood drawing and intravenous line insertions.
The authors, led by experts at the University of Ottawa in Canada said the findings could be used to make crucial vaccinations less traumatic for babies and parents.
They said that infant vaccinations are essential, but painful, causing distress for the babies and often their parents, and can result in future anxiety and fear of needles.
The World Health Organisation in a position statement published in September 2015 said: ‘If culturally acceptable, breastfeeding of infants should be done during or shortly before the vaccination session.’ What is more, more studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of breastfeeding versus other pain management methods for managing infants’ immunisation-related pain.
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