Music Listening Intervention vs Local Anaesthetic Cream for Pain Management in Infants Undergoing Venepuncture: A Collaborative Trans-Disciplinary Research

Aim: Local anaesthetic cream (EMLA) is often used for paediatric procedural pain management. However, there are concerns about dependency on pain medication. A healthier alternative would be to use music listening intervention instead. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of music listening intervention in managing pain for infants undergoing venepuncture procedures in comparison to using EMLA. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in two phases-in the first phase, surveys were conducted to determine the spectrum of popular Malaysian folk songs for children in nursery schools, and the selection of songs was then rearranged in an instrumental form to be played in the experimental phase. The experimental phase is the second part which involved the focus and control groups of infants that required venepuncture procedures. The focus group was given music listening intervention during the procedure while the control group was given EMLA. Results: The results revealed that there was no statistical difference between the two groups in pain management. Conclusion: This study shows that music listening intervention is comparable to EMLA cream in the management of venepuncture pain based on physiological response and pain behavioural score. Keywords: Music listening intervention, local anaesthetic cream, venepuncture, pain management, infants