Soothing pain-elicited distress in Chinese neonates

Objective. To test the effect of nonnutritive sucking (NNS), music therapy (MT), and combined NNS and MT (NNS + MT), versus no intervention, on heart rate, transcutaneous oxygen (TcPao(2)) levels, and pain behavior of neonates in intensive care units having blood taken by a heel-stick procedure. Methodology. A within-subjects, counter-balancing, repeated-measures design conducted in a government-funded hospital in Hong Kong, comparing TcPao(2) levels, heart rate, and pain behavior outcomes in 27 neonates. Results. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences in outcomes across all interventions (Wilk's lambda = .142; F [3,27] = 31.82; eta 2 =.47). One-way analysis of variance revealed that the 3 comfort interventions significantly reduced neonates' heart rate (Wilk's lambda =.647; F [2,27] = 18.93; eta 2 =.35), improved their TcPao(2) levels (Wilk's lambda =.481; F [2,27] = 37.42; eta 2 =.51), and reduced their pain behavior (Wilk's lambda =.312; F [2,27] = 76.42; eta 2 =.68). Posthoc scheffe tests revealed that NNS + MT had the strongest effect on neonates' TcPao(2) levels and pain behavior; MT alone had the strongest effect on neonates' heart rate. Conclusions. Health professionals using NNS + MT when doing heel-sticks can improve the TcPao(2) levels of neonates and reduce their pain. Using MT alone can improve the heart rate of neonates.