ArticlePediatric research2026
Association between exposure to stress and experienced discomfort in preterm infants.
Article in Pediatric research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExtremely (<26 weeks) and very (26-30 weeks) preterm infants are frequently exposed to stressors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study investigated whether cumulative stress exposure, gestational age, postnatal age, or medication use influences discomfort during the first week after birth.
methodsWe retrospectively studied 41 extremely and 41 very preterm infants matched for clinical factors. Stress exposure was assessed using the Neonatal Infant Stressor Scale (NISS), and discomfort with the COMFORTneo scale. Associations were examined adjusting for gestational age, postnatal age, and sedative/analgesic use.
resultsCumulative stress exposure was not associated with discomfort in any model (β -0.0046 to 0.0006; all p > 0.4). Gestational age and sedative/analgesic use were also not significant. COMFORTneo scores were higher on postnatal Day 3 (β = 0.91, p < 0.001) and Day 5 (β = 0.75, p = 0.004).
conclusionStress exposure, as measured by the NISS, does not directly correspond to discomfort in preterm infants. Postnatal age emerged as a key determinant during the first week of life. These findings highlight the complexity of discomfort assessment in very and extremely preterm infants and suggest that factors beyond stress exposure contribute to early-life distress. IMPACT STATEMENT: Cumulative stress exposure in the NICU does not directly predict experienced discomfort in preterm infants, indicating that behavioral responses may not solely reflect stress. Postnatal age is a key determinant, with the highest COMFORTneo scores on Days 3 and 5, highlighting critical timing effects in early neonatal care. These findings emphasize that developmental stage and care routines influence early-life distress, informing optimized pain and stress management strategies in preterm infants.
Identifiers
42174202What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.