A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Tucking Positioning Upon Pain Among Infants Undergoing Im Injection at Selected Hospitals, Kanpur

Abstract

Background: Infants undergoing intramuscular (IM) injections often experience significant pain and distress. Non-pharmacological interventions such as facilitated tucking positioning have emerged as effective methods to reduce pain responses in neonates and infants during minor procedures.

Aim: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of tucking positioning on pain among infants undergoing IM injection in selected hospitals of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Methods: A quasi-experimental post-test only control group design was adopted for the study. A total of 80 infants aged between 1 month to 1 year were selected using non-probability purposive sampling technique—40 each in experimental and control groups. The experimental group received tucking positioning during IM injection, while the control group received routine care without positioning. Pain was assessed immediately after injection using the Modified Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), which measures pain based on facial expression, cry, breathing pattern, arm and leg movement, and state of arousal. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test and chi-square test) were used to analyze the data.

Results: The findings revealed that infants in the experimental group who received tucking positioning experienced significantly lower pain scores compared to those in the control group. The mean pain score in the experimental group was notably lower, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Furthermore, chi-square analysis showed a significant association between pain levels and selected demographic variables such as age of the child and type of family.

Conclusion: Tucking positioning is an effective, simple, and safe non-pharmacological intervention to reduce pain among infants undergoing IM injections. It should be encouraged in clinical practice as a standard supportive technique to enhance infant comfort and reduce procedural distress.