Can a soft crochet octopus ease pain in preterm babies?
NCT ID NCT07828795
First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Summary
Preterm newborns in intensive care often need repeated heel pricks for blood tests, which can cause pain and stress. This trial tests whether giving a soft crochet octopus to hold during the procedure reduces pain and improves behavioral responses. Researchers will compare preterm infants who receive the octopus plus standard care with those who receive standard care alone, measuring pain scores and behavioral state.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A handmade crochet octopus placed with the newborn during a heel prick blood test
- What this could lead to
- If it helps, hospitals could add a simple, low-cost comfort item to routine newborn blood tests, reducing pain and stress for preterm babies.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and early, so the octopus may not clearly reduce pain beyond standard care. Results in one hospital may not apply everywhere, and the device cannot replace pain relief when it is needed.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 98 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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2 to 30 days
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * Preterm neonates: Gestational age 32-37 weeks * Age: 2-30 days postnatal * Clinically stable * Requiring heel lance for routine blood sampling Exclusion Criteria * Major congenital anomalies * Neurological disorders * Received pharmacological analgesia within 24 hours prior to the procedure * Receiving mechanical ventilation or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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