One study, published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies in 2015, found that parental preferences strongly influence decision-making when balancing pain relief against side effects for children on opioid therapy for postoperative pain.
Researchers reported full results of the 5-year GAS trial, the first randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of general anesthesia in infancy on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
The effectiveness of only 10 of 43 available pain measurement instruments specific to neonates has been examined in studies deemed of poor to fair quality.
For adolescents with chronic pain, wait times to evaluation at an interdisciplinary pain clinic after referral were long and were associated with anxious anticipation and frustration from families.
Psychological therapies may be effective in improving pain and disability in children and adolescents with chronic pain, including headache and mixed chronic pain conditions, although some of these effects did not persist at follow-up.
Evidence supporting the use of the 11-point numeric rating scale, the Faces Pain Scale Revise, and the Color Analogue Scale for the self-assessment of acute pain in children aged 3 to 18 is strong.
The presence of sleep disorders in children with chronic pain may result in greater pain levels and pain interference, a relationship that may in part be mediated by anxiety and depressive symptoms.
