Introduction
heart and breath, tissue damage, pain
Newborns’ ability for pain modulation is low, and they are unable to secrete dopamine and norepinephrine to modulate pain until 36–40 weeks of pregnancy [The term pain is defined as an unpleasant emotional sensation or experience in connection with potential or actual tissue damage in the body [Painful procedures can adversely affect the infant’s physiological indicators, such as plasma cortisol level, blood oxygen saturation, heart and breath rates, and behavioral parameters, such as crying, smiling, and body movements [Venous blood sampling is one of the most common painful invasive procedures when caring for NICU infants [So far, two pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods have been used to control pain in premature infants. Non-pharmacological methods include non-nutritive sucking, breastfeeding, oral solutions such as sucrose and glucose, and skin-to-skin contact between the infant and the mother [The evidence indicates a decrease in the pain response due to a decrease in environmental sensory stimulation in premature infants. Consequently, studies have shown that reducing infants’ exposure to light and sound in the NICU environment by using eye shield and ear muffs can strengthen infants’ physiological stability [Mater et al.‘s study showed that using eye shield and massage was associated with a significant decrease in pain response compared to the control group during blood sampling [In recent years, concern about the side effects of drugs has led to a greater desire to use non-pharmacological interventions to relieve pain caused by painful procedures [In general, the findings of the studies are contradictory [