The Effect of Skin-to-skin Contact on the Pain Intensity of Intramuscular

Newborns are more sensitive to pain than adults and are more susceptible to the long-term complications of pain. So, it is necessary to use procedures for reducing pain in newborns. The present study has been done in order to assess the effect of skin-to skin contact on the pain intensity of intramuscular injection in newborns. Materisals and This research is an experimental one which was conducted in Shariati Hospital in Bandar Abbas city within six months (2006-2007 years). The sample included 100 healthy newborns. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: case and control groups. In case group, during muscular injection the newborn was naked and with a diaper, had direct contact with skin of chest and abdomen of his/her mother. In control group, the newborn was dressed with a blanket and positioned on the bed. The behavioral responses (facial expression, cry, breathing pattern, arms and legs movement and state of arousal) of the newborns were monitored. The primary outcome measure was the cumulative Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) score immediately after injection. There were significant differences in behavioral responses between the two groups (p<0.05). Also, the pain intensity of case group newborns, after modifying apgar score of first minute, was less than the one in control group (p<0.001, OR=0.024). Skin-to-skin contact method is an easy, applicable and harmless way to reduce behavioral responses of intensity reaction to the pain of muscular injection in newborns.