Research Reveals That Infants Can Detect Pain Before Fully Understanding It

Recent research conducted by University College London has shed light on the developmental stages of pain processing in newborns. The study demonstrates that brain networks responsible for sensing, experiencing, and reacting emotionally to pain develop at different rates during infancy. Importantly, it reveals that newborns can perceive pain signals before they comprehend or interpret the pain fully. The study involved advanced brain imaging of infants born prematurely, focusing on three key components of pain: sensory-discriminative (localization and intensity), affective-motivational (emotional response), and cognitive-evaluative (interpretation and understanding). Findings indicate that the sensory network matures around 34-36 weeks after conception, enabling infants to detect pain but not yet process its emotional aspects. By 36-38 weeks, the affective component develops, allowing infants to perceive pain as unpleasant. However, the cognitive understanding of pain only matures after 42 weeks, meaning that fully developed pain perception and interpretation are only present at or after full-term birth. This nuanced development explains why preterm infants may react to pain without fully understanding its meaning and emphasizes the importance of tailored pain management in neonatal care. The research utilized data from large-scale brain studies, comparing infant brain networks to those of adults, to map out this developmental trajectory. The findings also support previous studies showing that preterm infants do not habituate to repeated pain, highlighting their vulnerability during critical stages of brain development. The study underscores the importance of careful pain management and timing of medical procedures in preterm infants to support healthy brain development and minimize distress.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-babies-pain.html