It was commonly thought that the nervous system of newborn babies wasn’t developed enough at birth to experience pain. Even though medical thinking has changed, it’s frightening to realize that under treating or simply not treating pain in sick babies may lead to a life of pain. Pam McFadyen shares an intimate portrait of having her twin boys exposed to over 100 painful procedures during almost five months in the neonatal intensive care unit. Bonnie Stevens, PhD, Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Pediatric Nursing Research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, then describes how best to reduce pain in this vulnerable population.
