Internalizing behaviours in school‐age children born very preterm are predicted by neonatal pain and morphine exposure

In very preterm children who undergo mechanical ventilation, judicious use of morphine is important, since morphine may mitigate the negative effects of neonatal pain on nociception but adversely affect internalizing behaviours at school age. Management of procedural pain needs to be addressed in very preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, to prevent long-term effects on child behaviour.