Gentle Human Touch and Stimulus Reduction for Pain and Comfort Management in Premature Newborns During Heel Blood Collection

This study focuses on premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit who often undergo painful procedures. The research aims to understand the effect of Gentle Human Touch (GHT) and sensory reduction (using an eye mask and earplug) on pain and comfort during heel prick blood collection. The study involves premature infants between 32-36+6 weeks of gestational age. The importance of this study lies in finding safe and effective non-medicinal ways to manage pain and improve care for these vulnerable newborns. In this trial, 60 infants are randomly assigned to three groups: GHT, sensory reduction, and standard care (using a pacifier). The pain experienced during the procedure is measured using the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) scale, which ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more pain. Comfort levels are assessed before, during, and after the procedure using the COMFORTneo scale, which ranges from 7 to 35, with higher scores indicating less comfort. The study also records physiological impacts such as heart rate and oxygen saturation, as well as the time taken for the procedure.