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Pain and Oxidative Stress in Newborns

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Perinatal and Prenatal Disorders

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Abstract

Pain in newborns is a diffuse and severe problem, leading in some cases to threatening the integrity of their central nervous system. This risk is mediated by several events, among which is the production of free radicals (FR) induced by pain. Several studies show that FR are important in pain perception and that FR scavengers can antagonize pain perception. FR can be produced even by “minor” painful procedures. We do not know yet whether the amount of FR produced during a painful event is so high to put babies’ brain at risk, but this is a further alert to warn neonatal staff against pain induction in newborns; effective drugs and procedures exist to antagonize pain in newborns and their use is mandatory.

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Acknowledgment

Research support was provided by an unrestricted grant from the Italian Ministry of Health, Research Project RF-2009-1499651 – and Fondazione EURAIBI Onlus, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Carlo V. Bellieni

  2. Departments of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine and Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore M.D.

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  1. Carlo V. Bellieni
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  2. Giuseppe Buonocore M.D.
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Correspondence to Carlo V. Bellieni .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Penn, Perelman Sch of Med Professor of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Division of Neonatology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Phyllis A. Dennery

  2. Lab of Oxidative Stress Policlinico “Le Scotte“, University of Siena Dept of Peds, Obstetrics & Reprod Med, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine Rikshospitalit Medical Center, Oslo, Norway

    Ola Didrik Saugstad

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Bellieni, C.V., Buonocore, G. (2014). Pain and Oxidative Stress in Newborns. In: Dennery, P., Buonocore, G., Saugstad, O. (eds) Perinatal and Prenatal Disorders. Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1405-0_16

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