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Pain Management: Pediatric Pain Management

Introduction

Until recently, traditional medical teaching suggested that since the nervous system is not fully developed and most children have no memory of their early years, that they do not experience as much pain as adults. Recent animal and human studies have shown that the opposite is true. Due to a more robust inflammatory response and the lack of a central inhibitory influence, infants and young children most likely experience more pain than adults do.1,2 In fact, early painful experiences can have long-term effects, actually lowering pain tolerance for months after the procedure.3 Still, because they lack the ability to communicate the source and severity of their pain, children are often given minimal or no analgesia for procedures that would routinely be treated aggressively in adults.3,4

Misconceptions That Can Lead to Undertreatment of Pain in Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Pain Society have issued a joint statement recommending that pain be recognized and treated more aggressively in children. They point to several misconceptions that can lead to undertreatment of pain in children:6

  • The myth that infants and children do not feel pain, or suffer less from it than adults.
  • Lack of routine pain assessment in children.
  • Lack of knowledge regarding newer modalities and proper dosing strategies for the use of analgesics in children.
  • Fears of respiratory depression or other adverse effects of analgesic medications.
  • The belief that preventing pain in children takes too much time and effort.

 

 

Last updated: August 2007
Content provided by: Healthcare Education Products & Standards Group
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