Painful procedures and analgesia in the NICU: what has changed in the medical perception and practice in a ten-year period?

Objective: To compare the use of analgesia versus neonatologists' perception regarding analgesic use in painful procedures in the years 2001, 2006, and 2011.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of all newborns admitted to four university neonatal intensive care units during one month in 2001, 2006, and 2011. The frequency of analgesic prescription for painful procedures was evaluated.