Topic - Managing Infants’ Pain

 Will Rogers said, “The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patient what is the matter-he’s got to just know”. This is also true of pediatricians and us parents! It’s heart breaking when little Jeff screams in pain and we can’t help him. We still don’t have answers for babies who suffer terribly from colic. This misery can interfere with the bonding process. It’s hard to feel close to a baby who’s in distress that you can’t help. The next big pain-related challenge is teething and that’s a bit easier because babies tell us. They begin to drool excessively and chew on their fingers. We can do something to relieve those painful gums! Now, doctors can tell if infants are truly in pain or if they’re hungry, frustrated or just want to cuddle. Electrodes are placed near the soft spot on the skull. It’s painless. While this is a good first step, we need to do better treating infants’ pain.