The effect of Helfer skin tap technique on hepatitis B vaccine intramuscular injection pain in neonates: A randomized controlled trial

Context: The aim of neonatal pain management is to reduce pain and help the baby cope with pain.Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of Helfer skin tap technique (HSTT) on hepatitis B vaccine intramuscular (IM) injection pain in neonetes.Design: Randomized controlled study Setting: This study was conducted with neonatal infants born vaginally in the delivery room of a state hospital in Turkey. Participants: This study was conducted total 60 neonates including 30 in the HSTT group and 30 in the Routine Technique (RT) group.Interventions: Participants were randomized into the HSTT group and the Routine Technique (RT) group. Main outcome measures: Data were collected using a questionnaire form and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS).Results: While the means of the total pain scores in the HSTT group were found to be 1.73 +/- 2.04 during injection and 1.73 +/- 0.98 after injection, in the RT group, the mean scores were 5.56 +/- 0.92 during injection and 4.90 +/- 1.25 after injection. The difference between the groups arising in the comparison of means of the total pain scores obtained during and after injection in HSTT and RT groups was determined to be statistically significant (p <0.05).Conclusion: In conclusion, HSTT was proven to be effective in reducing hepatitis B vaccine intramuscular (IM) injection pain in neonates. This study demonstrates that HSTT is associated with reduced pain in newborns during hepatitis B vaccine IM injections.