Pain at Hepatitis B Vaccine in Preterm Infants

Many painful interventions that cause pain and stress are applied to preterm babies in the neonatal intensive care unit for diagnosis and treatment. In neonatal care and reduction of acute interventional pain; Non-pharmacological methods including behavioral, psychological and environmental regulations should be used. In the hepatitis B vaccine administered to preterm babies, stimulating the grasping reflex can make the preterm baby feel safe and calm. In the literature, there are many studies aimed at reducing pain in preterm newborns. However, no study has been found on the effect of grasping reflex stimulation on pain and crying in hepatitis B vaccine administration to preterm infants. This study was planned to examine the effect of grasping reflex on pain and crying duration in preterm infants with hepatitis B vaccine.

The reflex can be stimulated by moving an object distally across the palm. In the study, at the beginning of the vaccine administration, the right hand of the infant will be moved distally along the palm with the researcher's index finger, thus providing reflex stimulation.

Premature Infant Pain Profile-PIPP: It is suitable for term and preterm infants and is used for the assessment of acute and procedural pain. Scoring ranges from 0 to 21. A score of 6 or less is considered as no or minimal pain, 7-12 points as moderate pain, and 13-21 points as severe pain. It is evaluated 15 seconds before the intervention and 30 seconds after the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria: 32-37. born in gestational week No congenital malformation Not receiving mechanical ventilation support No contraindications for hepatitis B vaccine administration Stable vital signs before the procedure Preterm infants who are not treated with analgesic sedation before the procedure Exclusion Criteria: • Infants of parents who did not give informed voluntary consent will not be included in the study.