Contents:
- Medical Video: Chest Pain in Children | Frequently Asked Questions | Cincinnati Children's
- Babies (newborn - 1 year)
- Toddlers and preschoolers (1-4 years)
- Small children of school age (5-8 years)
- More mature school-age children (8 - 11 years old)
- Teenagers (12-18 years old)
Medical Video: Chest Pain in Children | Frequently Asked Questions | Cincinnati Children's
Babies (newborn - 1 year)
From the day of birth, babies (including premature babies) can already feel and express pain. Premature babies are believed to have more sensitivity to pain, because they have less ability to deal with pain.
Newborns can respond to events that cause pain as in the first minute or hour of birth.
Assessing pain in infants depends on observation. Newborns can understand pain. They can show behavior at the beginning to indicate that they have understood painful experiences before. At 4 to 6 months, babies who experience ongoing pain will respond to pain differently.
Babies who experience pain tend to show it with facial expressions, hand and foot movements, and crying. They may try to protect the area of the body that is sick or even pull it. Changes in diet, excretion, and sleep can also be indicators of pain. Facial expressions can be used as the best indicator of pain in all age groups. Grimace, closed eyes, and open mouth are common expressions of pain.
Babies cry for reasons such as hunger, anger or fear, but crying due to pain is different. Cries due to high-pitched, tense, sharp, short and tight pain. However, the absence of crying does not mean the child is free from pain. Babies who are in pain may not cry at all, especially if the baby is premature or still very small, maybe because they do not have the energy to cry.
Physical indicators, including heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, skin color, vomiting, sweating, or dilated pupils, can also determine if the baby is in pain.
Because changes to these indicators can be caused by other causes, such as stress, fear or anxiety, physical changes are more difficult to interpret than behavior changes. However, along with behavioral indicators, these signs can be used to assess a child in overall pain.
Toddlers and preschoolers (1-4 years)
Toddlers can express the intensity of their pain. Even children who have not been able to speak or have limitations in speaking can indicate the level, type and location of pain. If possible, children should be asked and encouraged to express pain with the words they understand. Making children interpret pain responses may require patience and skill. Children at this age are growing self-awareness and can have memories of painful incidents. This can increase fear and anxiety in children. For example, seeing blood from a small wound can make a child worry and the emotional condition can affect the reaction to pain.
At the same time, increasing awareness of oneself gives children the opportunity to deal with pain that cannot be done while still a baby. Parents must be able to recognize pain in children and explain what happened. For children who are feeling sick, an understanding of pain can improve a child's control. This can help him deal with pain effectively. Explain to the child what is happening and what causes it, it can also prevent children from having negative beliefs about pain and its causes.
Toddlers and preschoolers can protect or attract areas of the body to indicate pain. For example, young children often draw ears if they experience ear infections. Parents must monitor unusual behavior changes, such as negative reactions to activities they usually like, or reject toys or favorite foods.
Small children of school age (5-8 years)
Children at this age begin to have awareness about causation. They can understand that the pain they feel is a result of injury or disease. They also understand that there is a time limit for pain, that the pain will not continue and that injury or pain does not endanger life. They can also understand that hospital care and performing painful procedures can help them feel better.
Although indicators of physical and behavioral changes can be used to assess pain, children of this age can also use the pain assessment tools that medical professionals use to assess and qualify pain. There are several types of pain scales that children can use to assess the intensity of pain. Some doctors can use a scale of 0-10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 is very sick; some use "face scales" from neutral to severe pain. Children of this age can indicate where their pain is on that scale.
More mature school-age children (8 - 11 years old)
Children with this age range have a perfect understanding of pain and can provide information about their pain. More understanding can also provide an opportunity to reduce anxiety and fear at painful events. Many children are interested in science at this age and can understand some basic pain mechanisms so that they can deal with pain better.
School-age children can express pain well. They can describe pain specifically and more consistently than smaller children.
They can also help assess pain by using effective measuring devices.
At this age, boys are less expressive about their pain than girls, and this must be considered in the assessment. Boys must be encouraged to express well.
At the same time, parents must monitor changes in children's behavior such as changes in eating habits and activity levels that show signs of pain.
Teenagers (12-18 years old)
In adolescence, teens have more experience with pain and have a reasonable understanding of the mechanism of pain. They also know how emotional conditions affect the pain they experience and how pain can be relieved.
Teenagers can use pain assessment tools. These tools can provide a complete description of the type, intensity, and location of pain, as well as the level of disability caused by pain. Teenagers have also learned negative reactions to pain. Although they can express pain better than children, sometimes they choose not to express it.
Adolescent behavior can be influenced by friends and parents. Often, personal consultation sessions are needed to get a more accurate picture of the patient's pain.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
