International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Premature babies are more sensitive to pain later in life than those born on time, according to new study.

Researchers from the University College Hospital in London said that the weeks premature babies spend in hospital after birth undergoing painful medical procedures could leave a damaging impression on their brains, reports the Daily Mail.

They claim that these effects could last for the whole of their lives.

According to the study's researchers, who published their research carried out on 15 babies in the journal Neuroimage, premature babies do respond to cuddles and strokes in the same way as those born at full term.

They advised doctors to make sure they give the babies as much pain relief as possible to make them less sensitive to pain later on in their lives.

Both premature and full-term babies had the same brain activity when their heels were pricked but the premature ones felt more pain, suggesting they were more sensitive to the gentle action.

Recent research conducted by scientists at the John Hopkins University in Maryland, US, found that foetal brain activity can be boosted by moderate stress levels during pregnancy.

Foetuses are more active in the womb if their mothers experience higher stress levels, the study found.

Posted by Carla Mackenzie