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Breastfeeding can relieve newborn pain
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By Holly Hanke |
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Breastfeeding your newborn may take the sting out of
some painful medical procedures: A new study finds
that newborns who were breastfed while undergoing
routine blood tests in the hospital had dramatically
less pain than their peers.
Researchers from the University of Chicago found that
among babies who breastfed during a heel stick, crying
was reduced by 91 percent, grimacing was reduced by 84
percent, and heart rates were significantly lower than
among babies who were not nursed. (Doctors use crying,
grimacing, and heart rate changes to chart infant
pain.)
Past studies have shown that allowing newborns to suck
on a pacifier, to be swaddled, and to stay close to
their mother during painful procedures like blood
tests can ease babies' reactions to pain.
This study was published in the April issue of the
journal Pediatrics. |
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What you can do
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Talk to your doctor before your baby undergoes any
medical procedure such as a blood test, immunization
or circumcision. You may be able to ease your baby's
discomfort by breastfeeding your baby through the
process, or at the very least by keeping him close to
you.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that,
whenever possible, the least painful pain relief
method be used during a medical procedure (such as
breastfeeding, swaddling, using a topical anesthetic,
or giving a baby a pacifier to suck as opposed to
anesthesia). |
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