From insights to impact: leveraging implementation science to improve neonatal pain practices

Painful procedures are the main cause of pain in hospitalized newborns. Despite high-quality synthesized evidence on the effectiveness and safety of analgesic strategies, procedural pain relief in newborns is still insufficient. The Be Sweet with Babies video was developed to disseminate and promote the use of this knowledge. The video was initially produced in English and French and later translated into other languages such as Portuguese (Brazil). The Be Sweet with Babies video demonstrates the effects of breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care, and sweet solutions in newborns undergoing heel lancing and venepuncture. When assessed by nurses, parents, and the public (though social media), the video was considered useful, easy to understand, and to apply in real scenarios. The use of all analgesic strategies was considered feasible. In a rooming-in unit, newborns of mothers who watched the video were twice as likely to receive analgesia during the newborn screening compared to newborns of mothers who did not watch the video. Researchers and healthcare professionals need to commit to advancing knowledge, based on the best available evidence and addressing knowledge gaps, as well as implementing the best evidence-based practices in neonatal care.