Pain in children - debunking the myths

There are many myths out there about treating pain in children. These myths have been pervasive and have endured, even though there is now strong factual evidence to disprove them.

In general these myths revolve around what is considered good parenting and what is safe. Many of us where brought up to believe that pain is character building and drugs like codeine are 'addictive' and 'bad' for you. However if an adult was in pain, they'd take something to alleviate the pain – so why leave a child to suffer?

MYTH	Infants cannot feel pain so there is no need to medicate.
FACT	Not so long ago doctors believed that a newborn's nervous system was insufficiently developed and did not process pain messages. Therefore they believed infants could not feel pain and the use of anaesthetics and pain medicine were deemed unnecessary. However, we now know that even a 26-week-old foetus has a nervous system sufficiently developed to feel pain.

MYTH	Children are less sensitive to pain than adults.
FACT	Children's nervous systems are developed and children feel pain just like adults, the only difference is that they may not be able to verbalise it in the same way.

MYTH	Pain is character building.
FACT	Pain is not character building, in fact, leaving kids to suffer pain can actually cause a condition called 'pain memory'. This is where the nervous system becomes permanently sensitised to the pain signals and children react more extremely the next time they experience the pain. In these circumstances normal doses of pain relief medicine may no longer be effective.

MYTH	If a child can be distracted, he is not really in pain.
FACT	Distraction is one of the most effective ways in which parents can help children cope with pain. If a child can be distracted, this is not an indication that the pain is not real.

MYTH	If a child says he is in pain but does not appear to be in pain, there is no need for pain relief.
FACT	Because children cope in different ways, their behaviour is not necessarily an indication of their pain intensity. A child who has pain may be behaving normally while still experiencing pain. Many children are too young to verbally explain their pain. Often you need to read the non-verbal signals too.

MYTH	Children will tell you if they are in pain.
FACT	Children may not report pain or the level of pain due to fear or a desire to please those around them. A child who does not report pain may do so in an attempt to avoid a further painful experience, such as a needle.

MYTH	Codeine is dangerous and addictive for children.
FACT	Contrary to some peoples' belief that codeine is unsafe, if used properly, codeine is as safe for children as it is for adults. Codeine is only one-tenth of the potency of morphine which is commonly used to treat strong pain in children. If used as directed, a combination analgesic like Painstop Day-Time for Children, will not lead to addiction or depressed breathing.

So what can parents do?
Once the myths have been debunked parents can help relieve their children's pain by understanding the level of pain and treating it appropriately.

DRUG TYPE	EXAMPLE	WHEN TO USE IT
Simple analgesics	Eg. Paracetamol, Ibuprofen	Mild pain
Combination analgesics	Eg. Painstop Day-Time for children	Moderate to strong pain
Prescription analgesics	Eg. Morphine, Pethidine	Strong pain

What is Painstop Day-Time?
Painstop Day-Time Pain Reliever is a combination analgesic containing Paracetamol and Codeine. It is the only product available in Australia designed to help relieve moderate to strong pain in children. By combining both paracetamol and codeine, Painstop Day-Time can provide more effective relief when children suffer from moderate to strong pain, for example when they have broken bones or suffer from bad earache, headaches or after surgery.

Please remember that Painstop Day-Time is a registered medicine and should be used only as directed. Incorrect use could be harmful. Parents should always consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist.

For more information about Painstop Day-Time Pain Reliever, please visit www.painstop.com.au.

Babynews Release Date: 14th October 2008

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