Newborn's pain under the mother's perception

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pain can generate important complications for the newborn. The mother, inserted in this context, becomes an important ally during the hospitalization since she stays with the. Thus, the study aimed to identify the mother’s perception of pain in her hospitalized child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and to compare the mothers’ reports with a range of behavioral and physiological signs. METHODS: This is a qualitative study in a tertiary hospital in the State of Ceará. Fifteen mothers who were with their children hospitalized at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit participated in the study, where they were placed in front of their children in two different moments: at rest and handling, in order to identify signs of pain. The data were analyzed by approximation of the speeches as proposed by Minayo. RESULTS: The results showed that the mothers did not perceive signs of pain in the newborn at rest. However, when handled, the mothers were able to identify the signs of pain through the characteristics presented in the newborn: facial expression, strong crying and the movement of arms and legs. CONCLUSION: Mothers are able to identify signs of pain in the child during painful procedures, mainly through crying and face changes. Thus, it points out the relevance of using pain evaluation scales to measure the behavioral and physiological signs of the newborn in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.