Premature babies less sensitive to temperature and pain

The premature babies, who take birth before 26 weeks of gestation and need intensive care or surgery, are less sensitive to temperature and pain in comparison of completely matured babies who take birth after completing 37 weeks of development in womb.

This is because, the nervous system at very early stage is susceptible to change and when premature baby faces surgery or intensive care, the degree of sensory change get influenced, revealed the study published in Journal Pain.

•   E-mail Article
•   Printer Friendly
•   Text-Size    

This characteristic of infants live right through their childhood and later period too, said the researchers of University College London (UCL) who conducted this research by tracing 43 children for 11 years since they were born at 26 week premature period.

“Our study shows that babies who are born premature and need intensive care or surgery develop long-term changes in their responses to hot and cold sensations,” said Suellen Walker, the co-author and lead researcher of UCL Institute of Child Health.

Also, they were less sensitive to pain and their degree of tolerance for pain became much higher as they were exposed to many early painful surgical operations, added Walker.

However, the researchers also indicated that in daily life both premature and mature babies experience similar pain but the minor difference is the way of handling those pains.

The research is significant as the number of premature childbirth is increasing as well as their mortality rate.

Thus far, the medical experts knew that premature babies are at higher risk of disabilities and expose to several diseases throughout childhood and in later life, but they were unaware about the latest fact that affects sensory perception of premature babies.