The effect of the use of baby mobile accompanied by Brahms' lullaby on the physiological parameters and pain level of the baby during sternum dressing.

BACKGROUND

Infants in intensive care units undergo numerous painful procedures, including medical dressings. Median sternotomy is commonly in pediatric cardiac surgery and infants experience sternum incisions in the postoperative period. To our knowledge, no studies have specifically examined pain levels during sternum dressing.

PURPOSE: This randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the effect of a baby mobile accompanied by Brahms' Lullaby on physiological parameters and pain levels during sternum dressing in infants.

METHODS

The study included 76 infants (aged 1-12 months) admitted to the Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Intensive Care Unit between July 2020 and February 2021. Data were collected using "Baby Monitoring Form" and " Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Pain Scale". The clinical trial registration number was NCT04894487.

RESULTS

Heart rate, body temperature, and FLACC pain scores were significantly higher, while SpO₂ levels were significantly lower in the control group compared to the intervention group (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that using baby mobile with Brahms' Lullaby during sternum dressing effectively improved physiological parameters and reduced pain levels in infants. Its use may be recommended during painful procedures.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This research provides a novel, non-pharmacological approach for nurses in the clinics and demonstrated that such methods may be as effective as the pharmacological interventions. It reduced the contamination risk by keeping the babies calmer during sternum dressing, which is a painful procedure that should be done aseptically. Frequent use of this method may reduce the risk of developing tolerance to painkillers and narcotic analgesics.