Which of the following statements is true about infant pain perception during procedures?

• A. Infants perceive and react to pain similarly to older children and adults.
• B. Infants cannot feel pain until they are a year old.
• C. Infants perceive pain only if they cry.
• D. Infants do not react to pain.

Answer: (A)

Infants have functioning pain pathways and can perceive noxious stimuli, so they experience pain and respond to it. During procedures, they often show recognizable distress through facial expressions (grimacing, brow lowering), body movements (withdrawal, generalized crying), and physiological changes (increased heart rate, fluctuating blood pressure). These responses are meaningful indicators of pain and demonstrate that infants experience pain similarly to older children and adults in terms of perception and the need for comfort and analgesia, even though they cannot communicate verbally.

That is why the statement about infants perceiving and reacting to pain in a way that parallels older individuals is true. It’s not accurate to say they cannot feel pain until a year old, nor that pain is evidenced only by crying or that infants do not react at all.