How Does Tetanalgesia Work For Babies? – Being Parents
Tetanalgesia refers to the ability of the mother’s breast to calm her infant. According to the experience of some health professionals, mother’s breast is the best calming agent when it comes to receiving vaccines or treatments.
For many years, administering a vaccine to the baby could be a difficult time. It was terrible to see them scream in fear rather than in pain. It was difficult to make the moment less painful and traumatic.
But some specialists believed that their brains could neither identify nor feel pain because they were small. However, this is not true.
Nevertheless, a brilliant solution is currently being put into practice. In fact, breastfeeding can help relieve pain in babies, or even prevent them from pain.
Indeed, tetanalgesia is a method based on the physiology of pain through studies.
How does tetanalgesia work?
It is wrong that the baby cannot feel pain. Recent studies have shown that their brains are mature enough to process the stimuli associated with it. Their tears are real. And their fear and agitation is well founded.
For this reason, tetanalgesia is scientifically approved as a method of relieving the pain of the baby.
According to a WHO report, this method offers effective solace and relief for a variety of reasons. Of course, this is not a magic solution. But it works because it is centered on a process that is meaningful for the baby.
He may still cry, but he won’t feel hopeless because he is in the safest position for him.
Likewise, just latching on relieves it. This will allow him to satisfy his thirst and a thousand-year-old instinct. It is said that mother and child disconnect while breastfeeding. There is even talk of the mother’s fuzzy brain.
That is, while the mother is breastfeeding, her brain takes a sort of pause. And that prevents him from processing information in the normal way.
In the baby, something similar, if not more intense, occurs. While nursing, he is totally focused on this function. Aspiration creates endorphins, which produces a feeling of pleasure.
We can try to distract him, but he will surely stay focused on the task. In addition, he is able to relax enough to take a nap.
Breast milk also plays an important role in tetanelgesia. It contains lactose, which helps in the production and release of substances for relief. At one point, the baby was given glucose to calm it down, because of its tranquilizing effect.
Other ways to give tetanalgesia
As you can probably imagine, this solution is not applicable in all cases. The time to take a blood sample, to give treatments or vaccines to children is not always favorable to the practice of tetanelgesia. However, WHO has developed a series of recommendations based on the same principle.
Experts describe a variant known as “materanalgesia”. Materanalgesia is none other than the universal method to calm the baby, the arms of mom.
The mother’s arms seem to bring him immediate relief. That is why they are an alternative in these cases. If we cannot apply tetanalgesia, either because we are not breastfeeding or because conditions do not allow it, the following tips may help:
- It would be appropriate for the child’s mother, guardians or caregiver to be present before, during and after the administration of the vaccine or treatment. It is in no way recommended to cheat him or leave him alone with the medical staff.
- If you are breast-feeding the baby but it is not possible to do so at this time, it is advisable to do so before and after he receives the injection.
- In non-breastfed infants, mom’s arms are an effective alternative. In addition, we advise you to distract them with a toy or mobile.
Conclusion
The mother’s womb not only gives the baby nourishment, but also warmth, affection and a bond with the mother. There is no doubt that when the baby sucks, he receives all the refuge and protection he needs.
It is therefore more than a way of eating. This method promotes a bond capable of removing fears and pain. For this reason, it is widely approved and accepted.
