Postoperative pain assessment in preverbal children and children with cognitive impairment

Postoperative pain assessment and management in preverbal children and children with cognitive impairment poses major challenges to pediatric anesthesiologists. An accurate diagnosis of extent of pain is the keystone for the successful management of pain. This article reviews the neurobiology of pain at birth, long-term consequences of early pain and different pediatric pain assessment tools used for postoperative assessment in infants, young children, and children with cognitive disabilities.