ABSTRACT

Pain is one of the most common symptoms reported by children who receive palliative care. The assessment of pain in children can be particularly vexing, giving the varying abilities of children to accurately report their experience. The most significant difference between children and adults concerning pain is the vast developmental range that pediatrics encompasses. One of the primary obligations of pediatric palliative care physicians is to minimize pain, although there is a complicated historical legacy that continues to influence our current practices. Successful control of pain allows the infant to feel secure, which then reinforces the healthy bonding between the parents and the child. Children with cognitive impairment represent a large proportion of patients that receive pediatric palliative care and experience pain more regularly than children without neurologic injury. The most essential difference between children and adults in the administration of medication is that all children receive medications on a weight-based calculation, indexed by body weight in kilograms.