Managing procedural pain on the neonatal unit: Do inconsistencies still exist in practice?

It is extensively documented that newborn infants admitted to neonatal units are regularly exposed to painful experiences (Valeri et al., 2015). It is also evidenced that pain has the potential for short and long-term consequences specifically on the neonates' neurological development (Anand et al., 1987; Pasek and Huber, 2012; Stevens et al., 2013; Grunau, 2013; Gray et al., 2015; Carbajal et al., 2015). Pain management in neonatal care has posed a long standing challenge for health professionals. During the last decade substantial research has been undertaken into this area and there has been significant advancement in the recognition and assessment of pain in neonatal population (Stevens et al., 2013). However, despite the wealth of evidence available, it appears that inconsistencies in the management and recognition of pain in practice continue to exist (Boyle, 2011; Losacco et al, 2011; Meek, 2012; Twycross and Collis, 2013). The literature surrounding the management of neonatal pain has been examined to assess if inconstancies continue to exist.