👶 Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)
Assess procedural pain in neonates with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale.
Clinical takeaway
Validated behavioural scale for neonates.
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When to use
Detect and trend pain in neonates and young infants.
How it works
Facial expression, cry (0–2), breathing, arms, legs and state of arousal — total 0–7. > 3 indicates pain.
Key points
- Validated behavioural scale for neonates.
- Use comfort measures (swaddling, sucrose, skin-to-skin).
- Reassess after interventions.
References
Decision support for licensed clinicians only; not a substitute for clinical judgement, diagnosis or local protocols.
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.
Frequently asked 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.）