Gently stroking babies before medical procedures may reduce pain processing

(Cell Press) Researchers found that gently stroking a baby seems to reduce activity in the infant brain associated with painful experiences. Their results, appearing Dec. 17 in the journal Current Biology, suggest that lightly brushing an infant at a certain speed -- of approximately 3 centimeters per second -- could provide effective pain relief before clinically necessary medical procedures.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science https://ift.tt/2EyYFwP