Premature Babies are More Sensitive to Pain

Babies who are born premature are more sensitive to pain than others even when they grow up, a new study published in the journal NeuroImage reveals.

Researchers studied 15 babies from London�s University College Hospital and found that more often than not, premature babies are kept in intensive care for moths together. Around half of the babies of the sample size were premature and were kept in the hospital for 40 days.

The researchers conducted brain scans on the babies during procedures such as tube feeding and heel lancing and found that premature babies experienced more pain than others. However there was difference in reaction among all the babies when they were gently tickled on their heel, leading to researchers suggesting that the babies were more sensitive to pain rather than touch.

�Our study shows that being born prematurely and undergoing intensive care affects pain processing in the infant brain. These observations may underlie the differences in pain sensitivity reported in older ex-preterm children�, lead researcher Dr Rebeccah Slater said.




Source-Medindia
RAS