Visceral pain in infants

Visceral pain in infants represents a complexity of interacting neural, developmental, psychosocial, and environmental factors, which must be separately and conjointly evaluated. Inhibitory mechanisms are not fully developed in infants and thus nociception is not readily dampened. Heightened behavio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of pediatrics Vol. 125; no. 6; pp. S95 - S102
Main Authors Hamilton, Alison B., Zeltzer, Lonnie K.
Format Journal Article Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.12.1994
Elsevier
Mosby-Year Book, Inc
Subjects
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - physiology
Esophagus
Esophagus - physiopathology
Feeding and Eating Disorders - etiology
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
Humans
Infant
Infant Behavior
Infant, Newborn
Medical sciences
Mother-Child Relations
Nociceptors - physiology
Other diseases. Semiology
Pain - complications
Pain - physiopathology
Temperament
Human
Nociception
Pain
Newborn
Pathogenesis
Esophageal disease
Digestive diseases
Infant
Review
Esophagus
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Summary:Visceral pain in infants represents a complexity of interacting neural, developmental, psychosocial, and environmental factors, which must be separately and conjointly evaluated. Inhibitory mechanisms are not fully developed in infants and thus nociception is not readily dampened. Heightened behavioral responses to pain (e.g., crying) are likewise not easily inhibited. Esophageal pain and behaviors perceived by the caregiver to represent pain (e.g., crying and retching) can potentially affect normal growth and development. The response of the infant to pain and other visceral sensory stimuli and the ability to cope with these sensations (painful and nonpainful) are shaped by the relationship of the infant with the primary caregiver, usually the mother. Neural mechanisms of pain transmission and inhibition are reviewed, as well as biopsychosocial and environmental characteristics that can shape or contribute to infant pain syndromes. Proposed multifaceted clinical treatment strategies are aimed at decreasing efforts to dampen excitatory neural sensory signaling and improving the mother/infant relationship and maternal behavioral response to the crying infant.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:0022-3476
1097-6833
DOI:10.1016/S0022-3476(05)82932-4