Reyyan GÜREL, Cansu AKDAĞ TOPAL, İlçim ERCAN KOYUNCU, Ayşe AY, Melek Gülgün ALTINTAŞ
Mediterranean Nursing and Midwifery - 2026;6(4):288-296
Objective: The study aimed to determine the effects of acupressure and paternal holding (PH) on pain during heel lancing (HL) and on physiological parameters in newborns. Methods: This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Ninety newborns were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: the acupressure group (n = 30), the PH group (n = 30), or the usual care group (n = 30). Data were collected between May and September 2024. In the acupressure group, the Yintang acupoint located between the newborn's eyebrows was stimulated 2 minutes before the HL procedure, whereas in the PH group, newborns were placed in their fathers' arms while seated during the same procedure. The usual care group underwent the routine HL procedure without intervention. Results: Newborns in both intervention groups had significantly lower Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale pain scores than those in the usual care group (P < .05). Crying duration was significantly shorter in the PH group compared with both the acupressure and usual care groups (P < .05). In addition, post-test oxygen saturation levels were significantly higher in both the PH and acupressure groups than in the usual care group, while post-test pulse rates were significantly lower in the acupressure group compared with the PH and usual care groups (P < .05). Conclusions: This study determined that acupressure applied to the Yintang point, along with PH prior to the HL procedure in newborns, significantly reduced pain. The findings show that acupressure and PH effectively reduce pain and improve oxygen saturation, heart rate, and duration of crying in newborns.
