Evaluation of a parent-targeted video in Portuguese to improve pain management practices in neonates

Parent-led neonatal pain management-a narrative review and update of research and practices

Introduction

Research related to parent-led neonatal pain management is increasing, as is the clinical implementation. Skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding and parents' vocalizations are examples of pain reducing methods that give parents an opportunity to protect their infant from harm while alleviating their anxiety and developing their parenting skills.

Methods

In this paper we will provide a narrative review and describe the current research about parent-led neonatal pain management. Based on this we will discuss clinical challenges, implementation strategies and implications for future research.

Results

Parents express great readiness to embrace opportunities to increase their self-efficacy in their ability to address infant pain. Parent-led pain-reducing methods are effective, feasible, cost-effective, culturally sensitive, and can be individualized and tailored to both the parent's and infant's needs. Both barriers and facilitators of parent-led pain care have been studied in research highlighting structural, organizational, educational, and intra- and interpersonal aspects. For example, health care professionals' attitudes and beliefs on parent-led methods, and their concern that parental presence during a procedure increases staff anxiety. On the other hand, the presence of a local pain champion whose duty is to facilitate the adoption of pain control measures and actively promote parent-professional collaboration, is crucial for culture change in neonatal pain management and nurses have a key role in this change. The knowledge-to-practice gap in parent-led management of infants' procedure-related pain highlight the need for broader educational applications and collaborative professional, parental and research initiatives to facilitate practice change.

Conclusion

Parent-led neonatal pain management is more than simply a humane and compassionate thing to do. The inclusion of parent-led pain care has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce pain associated with repeated painful procedures in early life and parents report a desire to participate. Focus on enablers across interprofessional, organizational and structural levels and implementation of recommended pediatric pain guidelines can support the provision of optimal evidence-based family-centered neonatal pain management.

Effectiveness of maternal-targeted training on nonpharmacologic pain management on heel stick sampling: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Heel stick sampling, which is a common procedure in newborns, causes acute pain, and parents are aware of this.

AIM

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of maternal-targeted training on newborn pain management, addressing the use of nonpharmacological methods and anxiety.

METHODS

The study is 2-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 64 mothers were included in this study. Mothers were randomly allocated to each group; intervention (n:32) and control (n=:32). Training on nonpharmacological pain management in newborns was given to the mothers in the intervention group. Data were collected with an Introductory Information Form, Nonpharmacological Pain Management Use Checklist, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

RESULTS

Nonpharmacological methods were used for the procedures in the control group and the intervention group, with an absolute difference of 68.8% between groups. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001) and had a large effect (d = -79.222; 95% CI, -9.365 to 670.143. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of anxiety score (p = 0.558).

CONCLUSION

Demonstrates the clinical relevance and feasibility of training targeting maternal on neonatal pain management during the heel stick sampling procedure.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

When non-pharmacological methods in pain management of newborns were recommended by the nurse, maternal involvement in pain management increased significantly, suggesting that nurses have a key role in ensuring parental involvement.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05173662.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Neonatal Pain Management Research From 2010 to 2022

BACKGROUND

Research related to neonatal pain management has received increasing attention in recent years. Effective pain management contributes to the maintenance of the healthy physical and mental growth of the newborn. To better understand this research topic, we analyzed the current state of development in this field over the past thirteen years by bibliometric analysis and provide directions for future research.

METHODS

Original articles were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) between January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2022, the title and abstract clearly stating 'neonatal pain management' or its alternative search keywords. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the WoS analysis tool were used to analyze and present the data.

RESULTS

A total of 967 articles met the inclusion criteria. Significant growth of the number of publications increased roughly fourfold from 2010 to 2022. Overall, the United States and Canada were the highest contributors to neonatal pain management research. Weak cooperation was observed in international research (developing and developed countries) and cross-institutional cooperation. Neonatal pain-related research was the most common focus. Pain education and interventions for parents and medical personnel have also received increasing attention recently.

CONCLUSION

The current study revealed that research in terms of publications on neonatal pain management has rapidly increased for more than the past ten years. Developed countries, especially the United States and Canada, were more concerned with this topic than developing countries. More international research and cross-institutional cooperation are required to promote the development of neonatal pain medicine in the future.

Impact of parent-targeted eHealth educational interventions on infant procedural pain management: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review was to determine whether electronic health (eHealth) educational interventions about infant procedural pain and pain management impact parental outcomes (eg, mental health, knowledge uptake), eHealth outcomes (eg, acceptance, use), and pain management outcomes (eg, parental involvement, infant pain response).

INTRODUCTION

Pain in infants is a common concern for parents. Routine postpartum care for infants in early life requires them to endure painful procedures, such as immunizations, yet infants often receive little to no pain management. Parents are an essential component of effective pain management, although they may not be aware of the roles they play. Despite the increased number of eHealth resources available to educate parents about infant pain management, their impact has yet to be synthesized.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review considered studies that evaluated eHealth educational interventions targeted at parents during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum. Interventions included, but were not limited to, mobile applications, web-based applications, websites, videos, interactive training, hands-on direct simulation, short message service (SMS), and desktop applications. Primary outcomes included parental outcomes (eg, stress or anxiety, self-efficacy, knowledge, attitudes), eHealth outcomes (eg, acceptance, use), and pain management outcomes (eg, parental involvement, infant pain response). Experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational study designs were included.

METHODS

MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO were searched for studies published in English up to June 14, 2021. Citation lists of relevant reviews and included studies were also searched for additional peer-reviewed articles. Two independent reviewers conducted critical appraisal using standardized tools from JBI, and data extraction, using a data extraction form designed by the authors. Statistical pooling of quantitative data was not possible due to heterogeneity; thus, the findings were reported narratively.

RESULTS

A total of 4163 unique studies were screened, with 11 studies ultimately included for synthesis. Five articles were randomized controlled trials, 5 articles were analytical cross-sectional studies, and 1 article was quasi-experimental. Studies reported on 4 unique eHealth educational interventions, all of which used video format and primarily targeted the postnatal period. The findings for all primary outcomes were mixed but suggested either improvements in outcomes or no impact. The certainty of evidence was determined as low or very low across primary outcomes for reasons related to imprecision, risk of bias, and indirectness.

CONCLUSIONS

Although heterogeneity of findings limited quantitative synthesis of data, this review suggests that short and engaging educational videos have the potential to positively impact parents' knowledge, confidence, and desire to be involved in procedural pain management for their children. Most of the interventions presented in this review describe evidence-based information about procedural pain management strategies that are known to be effective for infant populations. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that infant pain response should be lower when parents appropriately apply the strategies. However, the findings of this review were not able to confirm this assumption. More research is needed to evaluate the impact of parent-targeted pain management education on infant pain response.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42020151569.

Be Sweet to Babies: Consumer Evaluation of a Parent-Targeted Video Aimed at Improving Pain Management Strategies in Newborn Infants Undergoing Painful Procedures

BACKGROUND

Evidence for analgesic effects of parent-led pain management strategies during painful procedures in newborn infants exists; however, such strategies are inconsistently used in practice. A publicly available parent-targeted video demonstrates breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care, and sucrose during painful procedures. Australian parents' use and knowledge of this video and these strategies was unknown.

PURPOSE

To determine parents' use of pain management strategies, and perceived acceptability and usefulness of the parent-targeted video.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, online, anonymous survey with embedded video. Participants were recruited via social media channels of the Miracle Babies Foundation, an Australian parent support network. Target participants were parents or family members of infants currently or previously hospitalized in neonatal special and/or intensive care nurseries, or high dependency units.

RESULTS

A total of 162 of 189 respondents provided sufficient data for analysis; all identified as mothers. Only 6 (4%) had previously seen the video; however, nearly all rated it as potentially useful and helpful (n = 124, 82%). Although most reported that sucrose had been used (n = 112, 84%), fewer reported having used skin-to-skin care (n = 50, 37%), or breastfeeding (n = 33, 25%). Most intended to advocate for skin-to-skin care (n = 108, 88%) or breastfeeding (n = 100, 81%) in future procedures. Perceived barriers to utilizing strategies included lack of information-sharing and organizational practices that excluded parent involvement.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

The video may be valuable in supporting mothers to advocate for their involvement during painful procedures in preterm and sick hospitalized infants. Further research is recommended to explore coordinated strategies targeting parents and healthcare professionals to overcome barriers to implementing parent-led infant pain management strategies.

Effectiveness of parental education about pain in the neonatal period on knowledge, attitudes, and practices: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Despite the availability of effective, safe, and feasible pain management strategies, infant pain remains undertreated. Parents can play a key role in advocating for or delivering pain management strategies if they are educated. To date, a quantitative synthesis of the effectiveness of parental education about pain management in the neonatal period has not been performed.

Objective

To systematically review the effectiveness of parental education during the neonatal period on pain management in infancy.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized trials (NRTs) that evaluated parental education with respect to pain management during the neonatal period in any setting from inception to February 2021. Screening of article titles and abstracts and data extraction were performed in duplicate. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Bias Tool 2.0 and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions for RCTs and NRTs, respectively. As per the GRADE methodology, critically important and important outcomes were identified. Critically important outcomes included utilization of pain management strategies and infant pain. Important outcomes included parental knowledge about pain mitigation strategies, parental attitudes, compliance with painful procedures, procedure outcomes, and safety. Data were combined and presented as relative risk (RR) or mean or standardized mean difference (MD or SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Of the six studies eligible for inclusion, four studies were RCTs and two studies were NRTs. Written information and/or video were used to deliver parental education during the neonatal period in hospital settings in all studies. Four studies (two RCTs and two NRTs) reported on critically important outcomes. The risk of bias was low for the two RCTs and moderate to serious for the two NRTs. Utilization of pain management strategies was assessed for heel lance in the first 48 hours of life in two studies and for vaccine injection at 2 to 6 months of life in two studies. Higher utilization rate for pain management strategies was reported in the pain education group in three studies (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04, 1.26; N=2712). There was no difference in the mean number of pain management strategies used in one NRT tracking utilization tracking utilization as continuous data (MD 0.20, 95% CI -0.01, 0.41; N=178). Parent-reported infant pain scores were lower in the pain education group in one RCT (MD -0.16, 95% CI -0.27, -0.06; N=1615). The quality of evidence for the outcome of utilization of pain management strategies was very low while for the outcome of infant pain the quality of evidence was moderate. Five studies (3 RCTs and 2 NRTs) reported on important outcomes. The risk of bias was low for two RCTs and high for one RCT and moderate to serious for the two NRTs. Parental knowledge about pain management strategies (SMD 0.54, 95% CI 0.26, 0.82), parental confidence in their ability to manage pain (SMD 0.24, 95% CI 0.14, 0.34), parental satisfaction with education (MD 1.18, 95% CI 0.84, 1.52) and parental satisfaction with pain management (RR 1.05. 95% CI 1.01, 1.08) were increased in the pain education group. None of the included studies reported on procedural outcomes. No adverse events with the pain education nor the use of pain management interventions were reported in one study.

Conclusions

Parental education in the neonatal period was effective in increasing utilization of pain management strategies during painful procedures. Reduction of pain in infants is based on one study of moderate quality. Furthermore, parental education increased parental knowledge about pain management strategies, confidence in their ability to manage infant pain, and satisfaction with the education and pain management. Parental pain education should be incorporated into postnatal care.

Social Media for ImpLementing Evidence (SMILE): Conceptual Framework

Background

Social media has become widely used by individual researchers and professional organizations to translate research evidence into health care practice. Despite its increasing popularity, few social media initiatives consider the theoretical perspectives of how social media works as a knowledge translation strategy to affect research use.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework to understand how social media works as a knowledge translation strategy for health care providers, policy makers, and patients to inform their health care decision-making.

Methods

We developed this framework using an integrative approach that first involved reviewing 5 long-standing social media initiatives. We then drafted the initial framework using a deductive approach by referring to 5 theories on social media studies and knowledge translation. A total of 58 empirical studies on factors that influenced the use of social media and its messages and strategies for promoting the use of research evidence via social media were further integrated to substantiate and fine-tune our initial framework. Through an iterative process, we developed the Social Media for ImpLementing Evidence (SMILE) framework.

Results

The SMILE framework has six key constructs: developers, messages and delivery strategies, recipients, context, triggers, and outcomes. For social media to effectively enable recipients to use research evidence in their decision-making, the framework proposes that social media content developers respond to target recipients’ needs and context and develop relevant messages and appropriate delivery strategies. The recipients’ use of social media messages is influenced by the virtual–technical, individual, organizational, and system contexts and can be activated by three types of triggers: sparks, facilitators, and signals.

Conclusions

The SMILE framework maps the factors that are hypothesized to influence the use of social media messages by recipients and offers a heuristic device for social media content developers to create interventions for promoting the use of evidence in health care decision-making. Empirical studies are now needed to test the propositions of this framework.

Development and evaluation of an educational video for families on the relief of acute pain in babies

OBJECTIVE

To develop and evaluate an educational video for active family participation in the relief of acute pain in babies.

METHODS

A methodological and experimental study produced at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing and at a university hospital in southeastern Brazil, conducted in three operational stages, from January to July 2017.

RESULTS

The video lasts nine minutes and 31 seconds, and it was validated by 19 expert judges with a 90% agreement among them for content and appearance items. Regarding the evaluation, 16 family members and pregnant women did it and were favorable to its use as an educational technology for learning.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the experts and the target population positively evaluated the video, which can be used as a health education strategy to empower families to engage in the baby pain relief with more autonomy and proactivity.

"Be sweet to babies": Use of Facebook as a method of knowledge dissemination and data collection in the reduction of neonatal pain

The Be Sweet to Babies video demonstrates the analgesic effects of breastfeeding, skin‐to‐skin care, and sweet‐tasting solutions as interventions to reduce pain during blood sampling in newborns. Although effective and safe, these strategies are implemented inconsistently in clinical settings. Given the increasing popularity of social media, there is a potential to disseminate and promote health information through it. The study aim was to  evaluate the use of Facebook as a means of disseminating the Be Sweet to Babies video in Portuguese, and to evaluate respondents’ prior knowledge, previous use of the three pain management strategies and intent to use the strategies in the future. We conducted a cross‐sectional study, using the “virtual snowball” sampling method. A Facebook webpage was created, in which the video was posted along with a brief survey. Data analyzed included number of views and visits to the page, number of views of the video, likes, dislikes, and survey responses. One year after posting, the page had 70 753 views and 2199 accesses; there were 1553 “likes”, no dislikes, and 43 positive comments. The survey was completed by 930 respondents (42% response rate based on the page access). Over two thirds of the respondents had previous knowledge about breastfeeding, skin‐to‐skin care, and sweet solutions for pain relief. After watching the video, 87% of the respondents intended to use breastfeeding or skin‐to‐skin care in the future, and 71% intended to use sweet solutions. Almost all viewers rated the video as very useful (n = 917, 99%), easy to understand (n = 926, 99%), and easy to apply in real‐life situations (n = 903, 97%). Using Facebook to deliver and evaluate an intervention is feasible, rapid in obtaining responses, low cost, and it is promising for data collection and knowledge dissemination. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the actual impact of the use of social media in practice change.

Effectiveness of a parent-targeted video on neonatal pain management: Nonrandomized pragmatic trial

The “Be sweet to babies” video is a knowledge translation tool targeted at parents on the use of analgesic strategies during painful procedures performed in neonates. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Portuguese version of this video on maternal involvement in neonatal pain management during the newborn screening blood test. Nonrandomized, pragmatic clinical trial. The study was conducted in a rooming‐in unit. All mothers received a pamphlet regarding neonatal pain management and were invited to participate in daily education sessions conducted by nurses, which included the video. The intervention group included mothers who voluntarily watched the video, while the control group was comprised of mothers who did not attend the education sessions or left the session before watching the video. Data were collected by interviews conducted by the research team. Descriptive and inferential analysis considered a confidence interval of 95%. A total of 73 mothers were included in the study. Analgesic strategies were used in 14 (40%) of the procedures in the intervention group and 9 (24%) in the control group, a clinically important difference of 16% points between groups, although no statistically significant difference was found (P = .13). Breastfeeding was the most commonly used strategy. Watching the video increased the chance of implementing analgesic strategies by 2.1 times (P = .19), while nurses suggesting the use of analgesia increased this chance by 5.5 times (P = .006). Although no statistical significance was found, the results suggest the clinical significance and feasibility of the “Be sweet to babies” video as a KT tool targeted at parents on neonatal pain management during nonurgent painful procedures. In addition, maternal involvement in pain care significantly increased when pain relief strategies were recommended by nurses, which suggests that nurses have a key role in facilitating parental participation.

Interprofessional Collaboration and Involvement of Parents in the Management of Painful Procedures in Newborns

Introduction: Newborns are subject to many painful procedures. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches alone are not enough, and it is necessary to consider other contributing elements such as the environment, interprofessional collaboration and parental involvement. The aim of this feasibility study was to explore interprofessionality and the role of parents in improving the management of painful procedures in newborns and pain management strategies. Materials and Methods: a pre-post feasibility study using a mixed method approach was conducted. Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups were used to describe the parents' views on their child's pain management and involvement in care as well as to explore the level of interprofessionality and feasibility. Results: Collaboration between physicians and nurses improved following the implementation of a complex interprofessional intervention involving professionals, parents and newborns. In spite of improving professional collaboration in procedural pain management, parents were attributed a passive role or only marginally involved in in the infant's pain management. However, parents stated-as elicited by the questionnaires and interviews-that they wished to receive more information and be included in painful procedures executed on their infant. Discussion: Management of painful procedures in neonates needs to be changed. Interprofessional collaboration contributes to improved procedural pain management in neonates. It is essential to include parents as active members in the interprofessional healthcare team.

Parent-Targeted Education Regarding Infant Pain Management Delivered During the Perinatal Period: A Scoping Review

All infants experience pain in early life from procedures. Parents recognize pain as a prevalent issue, reporting a strong desire for more information on infant pain. The aim of this study was to explore and map the current evidence of parent-targeted educational interventions about infant pain, delivered throughout the perinatal period. Records were identified in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and ERIC databases and hand searching recent publications in 3 relevant journals. Records in English that described or evaluated educational interventions on infant pain management aimed at parents during the perinatal period were eligible for review and those not related to pain or aimed at healthcare providers were excluded. Evaluation was completed following the Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews and standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Initial search yielded 6946 records, with 9 included in analysis. Six studies were quantitative, 2 qualitative, and 1 mixed methods. Included interventions contained information about parent-led pain management strategies for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (n = 4), full term (n = 4), or both (n = 1). Despite being an area of high concern for parents of newborns, few studies addressed parent-targeted education regarding infant pain. Future research examining the impact and efficacy of these interventions addressing parental and neonatal outcomes is warranted.

Pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures of pain management and treatment among neonates

Objective

This study sought to describe and quantify the pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies used to relieve the pain/stress of neonates during hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units.

Methods

This quantitative, longitudinal, and descriptive study examined 50 neonates from neonatal intensive care unit admission to discharge.

Results

A total of 9,948 painful/stressful procedures were recorded (mean = 11.25 ± 6.3) per day per neonate. A total of 11,722 pain-management and relief interventions were performed, of which 11,495 (98.1%) were nonpharmacological strategies, and 227 (1.9%) were pharmacological interventions. On average, each neonate received 235 pain-management and treatment interventions during hospitalization, 13 nonpharmacological interventions per day, and one pharmacological intervention every 2 days.

Conclusion

Neonates receive few specific measures for pain relief given the high number of painful and stressful procedures performed during hospitalization. Thus, it is essential to implement effective pain-relief protocols.

Use of the FacebookTM social network in data collection and dissemination of evidence

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the FacebookTM platform as a means of disseminating a video in Portuguese demonstrating the use of three interventions of pain management (breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and sweet solutions) during minor procedures, and to evaluate prior knowledge, the range, dissemination and intent to use the strategies in the future. Method: This is a cross-sectional survey, which used the "virtual snowball" sampling method, aimed at parents and health professionals caring for neonates. The study was conducted in Brazil, through a FacebookTM page (https://www.facebook.com/sejadocecomosbebes), in which the video and a brief questionnaire were posted. Results: After three months the page reached 28,364 "views", in 45 municipalities across Brazil, 1531 people accessed the page, 709 responses to the questionnaires, 1126 "likes", and multiple positive comments. Almost all viewers (99.71%) answered they would use one of the pain reducing strategies. Conclusion: Our results indicate that using FacebookTM to deliver and evaluate an intervention is feasible, rapid in obtaining responses at a low cost, and it is promising for data collection and knowledge dissemination.