Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) — free guideline decision tool
Assess procedural pain in neonates with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale.
Open guideline tool →Guideline-based
Implements the decision logic from published clinical guidelines.
Runs in your browser
No installation. Enter the patient's values and get a guideline recommendation instantly.
Data stays local
Nothing is uploaded. Results are for licensed clinicians only.
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| Facial expression | Relaxed (0) |
|---|---|
| Cry | No cry (0) |
| Breathing pattern | Relaxed (0) |
| Arms | Relaxed (0) |
| Legs | Relaxed (0) |
| State of arousal | Sleeping/calm (0) |
→NIPS0/7
- Interpretation：No/minimal pain
- Note：A score > 3 generally indicates pain warranting comfort measures or analgesia.
| Facial expression | Grimace (1) |
|---|---|
| Cry | Vigorous (2) |
| Breathing pattern | Changed (1) |
| Arms | Flexed/extended (1) |
| Legs | Flexed/extended (1) |
| State of arousal | Fussy (1) |
→NIPS7/7
- Interpretation：Significant pain — intervene
- Note：A score > 3 generally indicates pain warranting comfort measures or analgesia.
Common questions
What is Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)?
Assess procedural pain in neonates with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale.
How is Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) calculated? What is the core formula?
Facial expression, cry (0–2), breathing, arms, legs and state of arousal — total 0–7. > 3 indicates pain.
When is Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) used?
Detect and trend pain in neonates and young infants.
What are the key clinical points for Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)?
Validated behavioural scale for neonates. Use comfort measures (swaddling, sucrose, skin-to-skin). Reassess after interventions.
What are the limits and cautions when using Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)?
For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
How is Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
Inputs: Facial expression Relaxed (0), Cry No cry (0), Breathing pattern Relaxed (0), Arms Relaxed (0), Legs Relaxed (0), State of arousal Sleeping/calm (0) → Result: NIPS 0 /7（Interpretation: No/minimal pain, Note: A score > 3 generally indicates pain warranting comfort measures or analgesia.） Inputs: Facial expression Grimace (1), Cry Vigorous (2), Breathing pattern Changed (1), Arms Flexed/extended (1), Legs Flexed/extended (1), State of arousal Fussy (1) → Result: NIPS 7 /7（Interpretation: Significant pain — intervene, Note: A score > 3 generally indicates pain warranting comfort measures or analgesia.）
Run Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) now
Assess procedural pain in neonates with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale.
Open guideline tool →For licensed clinicians. Not a substitute for clinical judgement.
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