The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Long-term effects of neonatal morphine infusion on pain sensitivity: Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.
Short-term and long-term effects of neonatal pain and its analgesic treatment have been topics of translational research over the years. This study aimed to identify the long-term effects of continuous morphine infusion in the neonatal period on thermal pain sensitivity, the incidence of chronic pain, and neurological functioning. Eighty-nine of the 150 participants of a neonatal randomized controlled trial on continuous morphine infusion versus placebo during mechanical ventilation underwent quantitative sensory testing and neurological examination at the age of 8 or 9 years. ⋯ We found that neonatal continuous morphine infusion (10 μg/kg/h) has no adverse effects on thermal detection and pain thresholds, the incidence of chronic pain, or overall neurological functioning 8 to 9 years later. Perspective: This unique long-term follow-up study shows that neonatal continuous morphine infusion (10 μg/kg/h) has no long-term adverse effects on thermal detection and pain thresholds or overall neurological functioning. These findings will help clinicians to find the most adequate and safe analgesic dosing regimens for neonates and infants.