The Effect of Gentle Human Touch and Stimulus Reduction on Pain and Comfort During Heel Blood Collection in Premature Newborns
14 september 2026 uppdaterad av: Kubra Nur Kabakcı Sarıdağ
Premature infants frequently experience painful procedures during their admission to neonatal intensive care units; this can lead to acute adverse events, imbalances, and long-term neurodevelopmental implications.
This randomized controlled trial evaluates the impact of Gentle Human Touch (GHT) and rate change (eye mask and earplug) on pain and comfort during heel prick blood collection in premature infants (32-36+6 weeks gestational age).
A total of 60 infants were randomly assigned to three groups: GHT, rate change, and standard care (pacifier).
Pain was assessed using the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R), and comfort was measured before, during, and after the procedure using the COMFORTneo operator.
Physiological impact (heart rate, oxygen saturation) and propagation time were recorded.
The findings provide evidence for safe and effective non-pharmacological interventions in pain management and their inclusion in developmental care protocols.
Studieöversikt
Status
Rekrytering
Betingelser
Intervention / Behandling
Studietyp
Interventionell
Inskrivning (Beräknad)
60
Fas
- Inte tillämpbar
Kontakter och platser
Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.
Studiekontakt
- Namn: Kubra Nur N KABAKCI SARIDAĞ, RN, MSc
- Telefonnummer: +905079149033
- E-post: kubranurkabakci@gmail.com
Studieorter
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Ankara, Turkiet (Türkiye)
- Rekrytering
- Etlik City Hospital
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Kontakt:
- Kübra S Kabakcı Sarıdağ
- Telefonnummer: +90 5079149033
- E-post: kubranurkabakci@gmail.com
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Deltagandekriterier
Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.
Urvalskriterier
Åldrar som är berättigade till studier
- Barn
Tar emot friska volontärer
Ja
Beskrivning
Inclusion Criteria:
- Preterm infants with a gestational age between 32 and 36+6 weeks
- Written informed consent obtained from parents
Exclusion Criteria:
- Infants with serious medical conditions that may affect study parameters
- Infants receiving intensive invasive treatments (e.g., opioid or sedative medication)
Studieplan
Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.
Hur är studien utformad?
Designdetaljer
- Primärt syfte: Stödjande vård
- Tilldelning: Randomiserad
- Interventionsmodell: Parallellt uppdrag
- Maskning: Dubbel
Vapen och interventioner
Deltagargrupp / Arm |
Intervention / Behandling |
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Experimentell: Gentle Human Touch
Gentle human touch (GHT) will be applied 3-5 minutes before, during, and after the heel prick blood test.
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Before starting the procedure, the nurse performing the intervention will wear a clean gown and wash both hands and forearms with an antimicrobial agent for 3 minutes. The nurse's hand temperature will be measured with a digital thermometer prior to the intervention to ensure it is at an appropriate level. If the temperature is not suitable, both hands will be warmed under a radiant warmer until they reach 33-33.2 °C, and the intervention will begin once this temperature is achieved. During the intervention, the nurse will place the fingertips of one hand on the infant's eyebrow line with the palm resting on the top of the head, while the other hand will be positioned on the lower abdomen covering the waist and hips, maintaining this position for 15 minutes. |
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Experimentell: Environmental Modification
Eye mask and earmuffs will be applied 3-5 minutes before, during, and after the heel prick blood test.
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Infants assigned to the environmental modification group will receive an eye mask and neonatal earmuffs (Minimuffs) to reduce exposure to light and noise.
The eye mask is a soft, adjustable, and disposable phototherapy band designed to block external light stimuli.
The earmuffs are oval-shaped, foam-based neonatal ear protectors with hydrogel adhesive, designed to reduce noise levels by more than 50% and ensure safe single use.
Both interventions will be applied 3-5 minutes before, during, and for 3-5 minutes after venous blood sampling, for a total of approximately 15 minutes.
Standard care with a pacifier will also be provided according to unit practice.
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Inget ingripande: Standard Care
Finger feeding will be provided before, during, and after the procedure, according to the unit routine.
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Vad mäter studien?
Primära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
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Procedural Pain Score
Tidsram: 5 minutes before the procedure, during the procedure, and 5 minutes after the procedure.
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The pain experienced during heel prick blood sampling will be assessed using the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) scale.
The scale ranges from 0 to 21 (for premature infants), with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.
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5 minutes before the procedure, during the procedure, and 5 minutes after the procedure.
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Procedural Comfort Score
Tidsram: 5 minutes before the procedure, during the procedure, and 5 minutes after the procedure.
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Comfort during heel prick blood sampling will be assessed using the COMFORTneo Scale.
The scale ranges from 7 to 35, with higher scores indicating a lower level of comfort.
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5 minutes before the procedure, during the procedure, and 5 minutes after the procedure.
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Sekundära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
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Crying Duration
Tidsram: During and immediately after heel prick blood sampling
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Total duration of crying during heel prick blood sampling will be measured with a stopwatch and recorded in seconds.
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During and immediately after heel prick blood sampling
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Oxygen Saturation
Tidsram: 5 minutes before, during, and 5 minutes after heel prick blood sampling
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Oxygen saturation levels will be monitored with pulse oximetry.
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5 minutes before, during, and 5 minutes after heel prick blood sampling
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Samarbetspartners och utredare
Det är här du hittar personer och organisationer som är involverade i denna studie.
Sponsor
Studieavstämningsdatum
Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.
Studera stora datum
Studiestart (Faktisk)
20 april 2026
Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)
1 september 2026
Avslutad studie (Beräknad)
1 december 2026
Studieregistreringsdatum
Först inskickad
19 februari 2026
Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
15 juli 2026
Första postat (Faktisk)
20 juli 2026
Uppdateringar av studier
Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)
16 september 2026
Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
14 september 2026
Senast verifierad
1 september 2026
Mer information
Termer relaterade till denna studie
Ytterligare relevanta MeSH-villkor
Andra studie-ID-nummer
- KUBRAN-GHT-PREM-2025
Plan för individuella deltagardata (IPD)
Planerar du att dela individuella deltagardata (IPD)?
NEJ
Läkemedels- och apparatinformation, studiedokument
Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad läkemedelsprodukt
Nej
Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad produktprodukt
Nej
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