SynthesisFrontiers in pediatrics2026
Long-term alterations in pain sensitivity following preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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9 authors.
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Abstract
Background and objective: Preterm infants undergo repeated painful procedures during neonatal care, potentially leading to long-lasting alterations in nociceptive processing. Evidence on later pain sensitivity remains inconsistent. This study synthesised long-term evidence on thermal and mechanical pain thresholds and pain intensity from school age to young adulthood in individuals born preterm vs. term. Databases and data treatment: A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus was conducted up to September 2025. Observational studies including preterm- and term-born participants aged 7-28 years were eligible. Outcomes included self-reported pain intensity and quantitative sensory testing (QST) measures of thermal and mechanical pain and detection thresholds. Random-effects meta-analyses used standardised or mean differences; heterogeneity was quantified with Results: Eight studies (731 participants; 328 preterm, 403 term-born) contributed 2,237 participant-outcome observations (1,140 preterm, 1097 term-born). Preterm-born participants reported higher pain intensity (standardized mean difference = 0.45, Conclusion: Preterm birth may be associated with differences in specific pain-related outcomes from childhood through young adulthood, particularly higher heat pain thresholds and pain intensity ratings. Well-designed longitudinal studies with standardized protocols are needed to inform neonatal pain management. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251144728, PROSPERO CRD420251144728.
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