There are quite a few contradictions we find about whether the premature baby is able to feel pain or not.
On the one hand, there are studies that show that what was considered only a reflex reaction is a response to pain, that is, premature babies do feel pain for more than a few weeks.
On the other hand, there is research that states that until the baby is 26 weeks old, his nervous system is not developed enough to feel pain.
Now, if these babies actually feel the pain, there are countless interventions they suffer from being admitted that cause discomfort. The respiratory probe in the nose, the punctures and even the adhesive tapes are annoying and even painful for adults, imagine for children of just 30 weeks of age.
There are several indicators that indicate that a premature baby may be feeling pain. The "Bernese Code of Pain in Newborns" is an instrument for international use with nine points to observe in the baby: crying, mimicking the face, body expression, sleep, period of stable phase, skin color, respiratory rate, frequency Cardiac and blood oxygen volume.
Proper pain treatment in these babies is essential, it is something that cannot be ignored.
A health care expert, Dr. Eva Cignacco, mentions that there are short-term effects of pain such as empathy or pain sensitivity and long-term effects such as alterations in cognitive development, learning or language.
The issue of pain in premature babies is a very interesting matter. It is essential to raise awareness among professionals in the sector and for the pharmaceutical industry to give greater importance to this group by manufacturing antidotes for the proper treatment of newborns.
While there are many conditions that must be treated in a premature baby, pain is not a minor matter.
