Premature infants given lullabies had lower pain after heel blood collection
A small randomized trial compared lullabies, classical music, and a control group, reporting lower post-procedure pain in the lullaby group but no significant oxygen-saturation difference.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Premature infants in the lullaby group had lower pain levels, heart rates, and breathing rates after heel blood collection than those in the classical-music or control groups. Oxygen saturation did not differ significantly. The abstract suggests a possible short-term benefit around this procedure, while leaving the size of pain relief uncertain.
The abstract does not identify the pain scale, provide effect sizes or confidence intervals, or describe the control condition. These omissions limit interpretation of the reported pain difference.
What researchers found
Pain following heel blood collection
Lullaby group versus classical music and control groups after the procedure; the abstract does not report the pain scale or effect size.
What was measured
Researchers measured pain and physiological responses before, during, and after blood collection. The reported advantage for lullabies concerned measurements after the procedure, so the timing matters when interpreting what the trial actually found.
What the null result means
Oxygen saturation showed no statistically significant difference between groups. This does not establish equivalence, and it should remain separate from the reported pain result rather than being interpreted as an overall improvement in every measured outcome.
The original publication
The effectiveness of music on pain during heel blood collection in premature infants: A randomized controlled trial.
Doğan P, Karakul A, Engür D et al.
Infant Behav Dev · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41109096
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.