Fongcum Tilokskulchai

Management of pain from heel stick in neonates: an analysis of research conducted in Thailand.

The heel stick procedure is the most common painful procedure performed in preterm and full-term neonates. Various nonpharmacologic interventions have been used for pain relief. However, the magnitude of the effect of different interventions has received little attention. In this study, 4 eligible studies conducted in Thailand, focusing on the effects of interventions on pain responses to heel stick procedure in neonates, were obtained for analysis. Swaddling in full-term newborns was found to have the largest mean effect size (dmn = 0.79). However, the moderate-to-large effect sizes (dmn = 0.5–0.75) of positioning in preterm newborns tended to exist throughout the poststick period while the effect sizes of other interventions decreased over time. The effect sizes of these interventions for physiological responses varied.

Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale: revision and further psychometric testing.

Maternal self-efficacy is an important factor in parenting behaviors and skills. In order to assess maternal self-efficacy in infant care, a solid measure is needed. The integrity of the assessment of self-efficacy in infant care depends upon whether or not an instrument possesses proper measurement properties. The purpose of this study was to revise the scale items and examine the further psychometric properties of the Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale. Using a sample of 235 Thai mothers, the revised Scale, with 44 items, was found to have internal consistency and test-retest reliability values of 0.96 and 0.93, respectively. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized structure. Also, the revised Scale was found to be correlated with a measure of a theoretically related construct; that is, the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form. The psychometric testing results suggest that the revised Scale can be used as an assessment tool for both research and clinical purposes.

The Effectiveness of Non-pharmacological Interventions in Relieving Children’s Postoperative Pain

Objectives: The objective of this review is to determine the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions implemented in reducing pain perceptions and/or pain behaviors in children and adolescents who had undergone a major surgery in the abdomen or thorax. Criteria for considering studies for this review Types of participants: This review will include studies whose participants are children and adolescents aged 1-18 years who received non-pharmacological pain management intervention(s) before or after receiving a major surgery in the abdomen or thorax. Types of interventions: All non-pharmacological interventions aimed at reducing pain perceptions and/or pain behaviors such as music, therapeutic touch, guideimagery or information given to the children before or after the surgery will be included. Types of outcome measures: Outcome measures of interest will be pain intensity levels measured through self-report or behavior observation.