The effects of white noise and swaddling methods on orogastric tube insertion‐related pain in preterm infants: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: International journal of nursing practice 2024-12, Vol.30 (6), p.e13275-n/a
• Main Authors: Kirli, Ceyda, Kisacik, Öznur Gürlek, Gürel, Selçuk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical trials; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infants; Intervention; Intubation, Gastrointestinal - methods; Male; neonatal intensive care unit; Newborn babies; Noise; Noise - adverse effects; Nurses; orogastric tube insertion; Pain; Pain - etiology; Pain - prevention & control; Pain Management - methods; Physiology; Premature babies; preterm infant; procedural pain; swaddling; white noise
• ISSN: 1322-7114; 1440-172X; 1440-172X
• DOI: 10.1111/ijn.13275

Aim This study aims to investigate the effects of the white noise, swaddling and white noise + swaddling methods on pain and physiological parameters associated with orogastric tube insertion procedure. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 132 preterm infants were randomly assigned to four groups as white noise group (n = 33), swaddling group (n = 33), white noise + swaddling group (n = 33) and control group (n = 33). Interventions were initiated 5 min before the orogastric tube insertion procedure and continued during and up to 5 min after the procedure. Results White noise intervention alone did not have a significant effect on reducing pain associated with orogastric tube insertion (p > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the preterm infants in the swaddling group experienced 0.587 times less pain, and those in the white noise + swaddling group experienced 0.473 times less pain. Conclusions Findings indicate the swaddling and the combination of white noise + swaddling may be a useful intervention in reducing the invasive pain experienced by preterm infants during and after orogastric tube insertion and in improving the physiological parameters associated with pain. Summary statement What is already known about this topic? It is known that orogastric tube placement is a painful procedure for preterm infants. Non‐pharmacological methods may contribute to reducing procedural pain in preterm infants. What this paper adds? The result of this randomized controlled trial provides evidence that swaddling method and the combination of white noise + swaddling may contribute in reducing the orogastric tube insertion related pain. White‐noise intervention alone did not show beneficial effects on procedural pain in this study. The implications of this paper: This study contributes to the literature on white noise and swaddling methods to manage pain associated with orogastric tube insertion in premature infants. Nurses should be aware that orogastric tube insertion procedure caused pain in preterm infants and should take non‐pharmacological interventions to reduce procedural pain.