26th June 2003
BABY PAIN MEASUREMENT DEVELOPED
Babies and young children who are too young to be able to express their feelings of pain will benefit from a new pain measurement system developed by a leading medical charity.
Action Research has created a new pain assessment system called the Paediatric Pain Profile, which is intended to help parents and health care professionals assess and relieve pain in children who can't describe how they're feeling. The scale was designed following a survey and interviews with parents and health experts.
The scale has over 20 different types of pain cues that both parents and health professionals can look out for, such as vocal cues, changes in posture, changes in facial expressions and moods, changes in sleep patterns and eating, and different movements. Each behaviour is rated from zero to three for the extent it occurs within a set time frame.
The charity hope the scale will be useful for treating babies and children who are unwell, as well as children with severe motor and learning difficulties.
Dr. Ann Goldman, consultant in palliative care at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, one of the centres leading the research, said, "Children often receive less effective pain management than adults simply because they are not able to articulate how they are feeling. We hope this scale will help parents and professionals to interpret the child's behaviour and lead ultimately to better management of their pain."
Simon Moore, chief executive of Action Research, added, "This is a huge step forward in the management of children's pain. Action Research is delighted at the positive results of this important project, which will greatly enhance the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our community."
Where to next?- Share your thoughts, in our Your Shout discussion forum
- Is your child unwell? Try out our illness diagnosis chart
- Got a question? Why not ask our experts
- Take a look at our A to Z of child health
- Check out our baby information