Effects of breastfeeding and heel warming on pain levels during heel stick in neonates.

Aim: To determine the effects of two different methods, breastfeeding and heel warming, during heel stick procedures on pain levels in healthy term neonates. Methods: This study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. The sample of the study consisted of 150 healthy newborns who matched the case selection criteria and were brought to the nursery for the heel stick procedure. Fifty neonates were randomly assigned to each group: breastfeeding (n = 50), heel warming (n = 50), and control (n = 50), using computer‐based randomization. The study data were obtained using an Information Form and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS). Results: The pre‐procedural pain scores of the breastfeeding group (mean 4.44 SD 1.21 seconds) were lower than in the heel warming (mean 6.10 SD 1.07 seconds) and the control group (mean 6.42 SD 0.91 seconds) (P < 0.01). Both the total crying time and the first calming time of the breastfeeding group were shorter than the heel warming and control group. The first calming time of the heel warming group was shorter than in the control group. Conclusions: Both breastfeeding and heel warming are effective in reducing the calming time during heel stick procedures. However, breastfeeding is more effective than heel warming in reducing pain during heel stick and should be preferred as the first choice. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Nonpharmacologic methods are effective in reducing heel stick‐related pain in newborns during heel stick procedures. What this paper adds? The results of this randomized controlled trial provide evidence that breastfeeding is effective in reducing pain levels of newborns during heel stick procedures.Breastfeeding and heel warming are effective in reducing the calming time of newborns during heel stick procedures. The implications of this paper: This study contributes to the literature on nonpharmacologic pain relief methods during heel stick procedures in healthy term newborns.Nurses should encourage breastfeeding to relieve pain during heel stick procedures in newborns and use both breastfeeding and heel warming to reduce the calming time.Heal warming methods can be preferred as a pain management strategy for neonates who do not breastfeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]