The effect of tactile versus auditory stimulation on reducing pain associated with invasive procedures among preterm neonates at NICUs

Preterm neonates often undergo invasive procedures during the period spent in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), yet their ability to deal with pain is limited due to their immature nervous systems. Managing pain efficiently in this age is crucial, as recurrent or improperly controlled pain can have over-time influences on their neurological and physiological development. The study aimed to determine the effect of tactile versus auditory stimulation on reducing pain associated with invasive procedures among preterm neonates at NICUs. The study hypothesized that preterm neonates who receive tactile stimulation will exhibit lower pain scores than those who receive auditory stimulation. A comparative (three-group) quasi-experimental design included 90 preterm neonates divided equally into three groups (tactile stimulation group = 30, auditory stimulation group = 30, and control group = 30) at NICU affiliated with Beni-Suef University Hospital. Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) was utilized four times: before, during, immediately after, and after five minutes of each invasive procedure to collect data between March and August 2024. During the invasive procedure, preterm neonates in the tactile stimulation group showed the lowest mean scores across pain indicators, including facial expression (0.30 ± 0.466), breathing pattern (0.37 ± 0.490), arm movement (0.53 ± 0.507), leg movement (0.43 ± 0.504), state of arousal (0.70 ± 0.450), cry (0.63 ± 0.615), oxygen saturation (0.37 ± 0.490), and heart rate (0.60 ± 0.498). The total NIPS mean score was highest in the control group (8.47 ± 1.196), indicating severe pain, followed by the auditory stimulation group (5.57 ± 1.431), indicating moderate pain, and lowest in the tactile stimulation group (3.50 ± 1.225), indicating mild pain. A statistically significant difference in NIPS scores was observed among the three groups during and after the procedure (p 0.05). Both tactile and auditory stimulation can significantly reduce pain scores in preterm neonates undergoing painful invasive procedures and are effective in improving physiological stability and neurobehavioral outcomes of premature neonates. NICUs should involve tactile and auditory stimulation interventions in the routine nursing care for hospitalized preterm neonates as safe and effective non-pharmacological techniques of pain management. So, replicating the study in other geographical settings is essential, to generalize findings to different settings.