The effect of swaddling method applied to preterm infants during the aspiration procedure on pain.

PURPOSE: The study was carried out to determine the effect of the swaddling method on pain in preterm infants (between 27 and 36 weeks) hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the aspiration procedure. Preterm infants were recruited by convenience sampling from level III neonatal intensive care units in a city in Turkey.

METHOD: The study was conducted in a randomized controlled trial manner. The study consisted of preterm infants (n = 70) receiving care or treatment at a neonatal intensive care unit. While swaddling was applied to the infants in the experimental group before the aspiration process. The pain was assessed before, during, and after the nasal aspiration using the Premature Infant Pain Profile.

RESULTS: No significant difference was found in terms of pre-procedural pain scores whereas a statistically significant difference was detected in terms of pain scores during and after the procedure between the groups.

CONCLUSION: It was determined in the study that the swaddling method reduced the pain of the preterm infants during the aspiration procedure.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study emphasized that swaddling had pain-reducing during the aspiration procedure in the neonatal intensive care unit in preterm infants. It is recommended that future studies be conducted using different invasive procedures in preterm infants born earlier.