Non-pharmacological methods of pain relief in term newborns: a review article

Czech version

Authors: Kateřina Greplová ¹; Petra Benešová ¹; Jana Chromá ¹; Bohdana Dušová ¹; Martina Bašková ²
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav ošetřovatelství a porodní asistence, Lékařská fakulta, Ostravská univerzita v Ostravě ¹; Ústav pôrodnej asistencie, Jesseniova lekárska fakulta v Martine, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Slovensko ²
Published in: Čes-slov Pediat 2026; 81 (4): 220-226.
Category: Original Papers
doi: https://doi.org/10.55095/CSPediatrie2026/005

Overview

Procedural pain in newborns is a serious problem with potentially long-term effects on the psychomotor development and quality of life of the child. Non-pharmacological methods represent a safe and effective way to alleviate painful experiences in full-term newborns. This review summarizes current knowledge about the effectiveness and mechanisms of action of these interventions. Breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact (SSC) have the highest analgesic effect, while also stabilizing physiological parameters and strengthening the relationship between mother and child. Sucrose and nonnutritive sucking (NNS) are also effective, with their combination providing a synergistic effect. Other methods, such as facilitated positioning (holding the newborn’s limbs close to the torso), swaddling, or musical stimulation (including white noise or soft music mimicking the intrauterine environment), show promising results but require further research. Active parental involvement in these interventions is key to maximizing their effectiveness. A multimodal non-pharmacological approach should be the standard of care for painful procedures in newborns and provides a basis for optimizing clinical practice.

Keywords:

Pain – Sucrose – breastfeeding – newborn – skin-to-skin contact – non-pharmacological methods – non-nutritive sucking

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