Hi everyone,
My name is Erik Koning and I’m currently working on a PhD project focused on pain assessment in extremely preterm infants, specifically those born before 26 weeks of gestation. While several behavioral pain scales are in use, my main interest lies in pattern recognition:
-
What can we define as normal behavior in this population?
-
And what clearly signals pain-related behavior?
Being able to distinguish between these patterns could also help evaluate and improve existing behavioral pain and stress assessment tools.
To broaden my understanding and learn from others working in this field, I’d like to open up a discussion here.
Which behavioral pain or stress scales are you using (or familiar with) in extremely preterm infants?
Which items within these scales have you found to be particularly useful, or less reliable, in this specific population?
How do you distinguish between pain, stress, and general discomfort in extremely preterm infants?
All thoughts, clinical experiences, research insights or even questions are very welcome, whether you’re working in neonatology, research, or neonatal nursing.
I look forward to learning from your insights and starting a meaningful discussion here!