Neonatal pain and neuropsychological development

Abstract

This is a study which discusses neonatal pain and its reflexes on the neuropsychological development of newborn babies which undergo treatment in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The care in NICU´s is often aggressive and may cause stress and pain. Recent studies indicate that painful stimuli may cause hemodynamic and behavioral alterations, with consequences in the development of the newborn babies in the short and long term. It has been noted that exposure of neonates to painful stimuli may make them more vulnerable to alterations in long-term neuropsychological development, however studies are still too recent to know what happens in the long term.