The Effect of Breastfeeding Versus Sensorial Saturation on Infants’ Behavioral Responses of Pain following Pentavalent Vaccination on 4 and 6 Month Old Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Study

BACKGROUND: Pain is the fifth vital sign and its proper management in infants is important. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of breastfeeding versus sensorial saturation on infants’ behavioral responses of pain following Pentavalent vaccination on 4 and 6-month old babies. METHODS: This single blind randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted on Shahid Dastgheib Health center in Yasuj, from May to September 2016. Eligible infants (N=180) were selected using convenience sampling method. Then, using block randomization method, we assigned the participants to one of the three groups of Breastfeeding (N=60), Sensorial saturation (N=60), and Control (N=60). The infants’ behavioral responses of pain were measured using the Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS) and duration of crying following Pentavalent vaccination. Data were analyzed through SPSS software 22 using Chi square, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn ’s multiple comparison tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the MBPS mean scores for breast feeding, sensorial saturation, and control groups in 4-month old infants were 6.60±1.60, 5.40±1.30 and 8.90±0.40, and those of 6-month old ones were 7.20±1.10, 6.10±0.90 and 9±0.50, respectively. Also, both the breastfeeding and the sensorial saturation groups scored significantly lower in behavioral responses of pain and crying duration on both 4 and 6-month old infants compared to the control group (P<0.05). Sensorial saturation group significantly scored lower in behavioral responses of pain and crying duration on 4 and 6 month old infants than the breastfeeding group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Both breastfeeding and sensorial saturation could diminish the infants’ behavioral responses of pain following Pentavalent vaccination; however, sensorial saturation was more effective than breastfeeding. TRAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT2016051527916N1