Multisensory stimuli and pain perception in the newborn

The study by Anbalagan et al. in this issue of Pediatric Research illustrates the potential role of recorded music for pain relief during minor painful procedures in fullterm newborns, i.e. heel pricks. It adds to the increasing evidence that sensory stimuli during a pain-inducing procedure can reduce behavioral response to pain, here including newborns from a non-white multiethnic social context.