Pain has been defined as \"an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage\" (Lawrence, et al, 1993, p. 59). Infant pain has only recently been acknowledged, raising interest in how to assess and prevent or relieve pain in newborns (Cunningham, 1990). Routine neonatal circumcision is still performed in most centers without the benefit of anesthesia (Schoen & Fischell, 1991). Acetaminophen has a wide safety margin in infancy and has been shown to relieve mild to moderate pain after minor surgery using a dose of 10-15 mg/kg orally (Schoen & Fischell, 1991).
This study compared the administration of acetaminophen to a placebo, when given to normal newborn males before circumcision. The hypothesis was that pain would be significantly reduced during circumcision with the administration of acetaminophen, as demonstrated by behavioral and physiological parameters, when compared to the administration of a placebo.
Pain has been defined as \"an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage\" (Lawrence, et al, 1993, p. 59). Infant pain has only recently been acknowledged, raising interest in how to assess and prevent or relieve pain in newborns (Cunningham, 1990). Routine neonatal circumcision is still performed in most centers without the benefit of anesthesia (Schoen & Fischell, 1991). Acetaminophen has a wide safety margin in infancy and has been shown to relieve mild to moderate pain after minor surgery using a dose of 10-15 mg/kg orally (Schoen & Fischell, 1991).
This study compared the administration of acetaminophen to a placebo, when given to normal newborn males before circumcision. The hypothesis was that pain would be significantly reduced during circumcision with the administration of acetaminophen, as demonstrated by behavioral and physiological parameters, when compared to the administration of a placebo.
Pain has been defined as \"an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage\" (Lawrence, et al, 1993, p. 59). Infant pain has only recently been acknowledged, raising interest in how to assess and prevent or relieve pain in newborns (Cunningham, 1990). Routine neonatal circumcision is still performed in most centers without the benefit of anesthesia (Schoen & Fischell, 1991). Acetaminophen has a wide safety margin in infancy and has been shown to relieve mild to moderate pain after minor surgery using a dose of 10-15 mg/kg orally (Schoen & Fischell, 1991).
This study compared the administration of acetaminophen to a placebo, when given to normal newborn males before circumcision. The hypothesis was that pain would be significantly reduced during circumcision with the administration of acetaminophen, as demonstrated by behavioral and physiological parameters, when compared to the administration of a placebo.