Recent research from University College London (UCL) indicates that preterm infants lack the ability to habituate, or adjust, to repeated pain compared to full-term infants, children, and adults. This research, published in Current Biology, suggests that the capacity for pain habituation develops during the third trimester of pregnancy. Consequently, preterm infants, who may not have fully developed this ability at birth, are at risk of adverse developmental outcomes due to repeated painful medical procedures they undergo shortly after birth.
The study involved 20 infants and compared the responses of preterm infants (under 35 weeks gestational age) to those born full-term or preterm but tested at term age. Researchers measured brain activity, heart rates, facial expressions, and reflexes during heel lances, a common painful procedure. Findings revealed that full-term infants showed a decrease in pain response after repeated lances, indicating habituation, while preterm infants reacted consistently to both instances.
The implications of this study stress the need for clinicians to minimize painful experiences in preterm infants to protect their development as their inability to adjust to pain may lead to changes in pain perception and brain structure.
