Infant-parent Skin-to-skin Contact During Screening for Retinopathy

Is There a Difference in Pain Score, Stress Response and Motor Repertoire in Infants Given Skin-to-skin Contact With the Mother/Father or Standard Care During Screening for Retinopathy?

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a feared complication of premature birth. If discovered in time, the disease can be treated, and impaired vision or blindness can be reduced. Premature infants are therefore examined regularly after birth. However, the examination is painful and stressful for the infant. Painful experiences might lead to a pathological stress response later in life and should therefore be prevented. In this study skin-to-skin contact with a parent is tested for relief of pain and stress in preterm infants being examined for retinopathy of prematurity.

the infants get 2 eye examinations within 1 week in randomized order, one in skin-to-skin position with a parent (intervention group) and one in the incubator (standard care). Sucrose (0.2 ml) lingual will be given for pain relief according to standard care two minutes before either eye examination.

the infants get 2 eye examinations within 1 week in randomized order, one in the incubator (standard care) and one in skin-to-skin position with a parent (intervention group). Sucrose (0.2 ml) lingual will be given for pain relief according to standard care two minutes before either eye examination

Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP): score range 0-21. Assessed during and immediately after completed examination). PIPP scoring via video recording by an external observer (blinded)

Prechtl method on the General Movements Assessment (GMA) and classified according to the general movements optimality list for preterm general movements and writing movements

Inclusion Criteria: Infants < 32 weeks of gestational age (< 31+6 weeks) Exclusion Criteria: Infants with ongoing analgesic treatment

Kristoffersen L, Stoen R, Bergseng H, Follestad T, Theodorsson E, Vederhus B, Adde L, Austeng D. Skin-to-skin contact during eye examination did not reduce pain compared to standard care with parental support in preterm infants. Acta Paediatr. 2019 Aug;108(8):1434-1440. doi: 10.1111/apa.14699. Epub 2019 Jan 18.