👶 Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)
UseDetect and trend pain in neonates and young infants.
SourceLawrence J, et al. Neonatal Netw 1993
This-shift next steps
After scoring: open the scene pack, peer scores, and the matching pathway. Local reference — no HIS write.
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Methodology · worked example, guidelines & full notes
Validated behavioural scale for neonates.
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
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 | Whimper (1) |
| Breathing pattern | Relaxed (0) |
| Arms | Relaxed (0) |
| Legs | Relaxed (0) |
| State of arousal | Sleeping/calm (0) |
→NIPS1/7
- Interpretation：No/minimal pain
- Note：A score > 3 generally indicates pain warranting comfort measures or analgesia.
| 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.
Verification & sources · governance
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- 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.
- Does Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) upload patient data? Where is it calculated?
- Calculation runs locally in the browser; inputs and results are not uploaded. For licensed clinicians only; interpret with history, investigations and local protocols — not a diagnosis or prescription.
- How is Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Facial expression Relaxed (0), Cry Whimper (1), Breathing pattern Relaxed (0), Arms Relaxed (0), Legs Relaxed (0), State of arousal Sleeping/calm (0) → Result: NIPS 1 /7（Interpretation: No/minimal pain, Note: A score > 3 generally indicates pain warranting comfort measures or analgesia.） 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.）