Pain relief strategies for infants taking DPT immunization in health centres

This study examined the efficacy of pain relief strategies among infants receiving intramuscular immunization for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) in Kogi east, nigeria. Sixty infants were purposively selected for the study and randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: breastfeeding, EMLA™ cream and control. The infants in the breastfeeding group were breastfed by their mothers 60 minutes before the immunization, those in the EMLA group had EMLA cream topically applied 60 minutes before the immunization and those in the control group recieved no intervention. An observational checklist and an interview guide were used to collect data, which was then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that most breastfed infants (60%) and most of those who had EMLA cream applied (55%) responded moderately to pain. There was a significant difference in the response to pain among the infants in the breastfeeding, EMLA, and control groups (F = 8.326; P < 0.05). Breastfeeding exerted a significant influence on the infants' pain reaction (F = 1.900; P <0.05), as did EMLA cream (F = 1.700; P < 0.05). In fact, there was no significant difference between the infants on EMLA cream and those being breastfed in their reactions to pain (F = 0.200; P = 0.697). In conclusion, breastfeeding and EMLA cream are effective in reducing pain during intramuscular injection and should therefore be seen as part of a pain management procedure in infants.