Brief report: Behavioral correlates of postoperative pain in toddlers and preschoolers

Objective: To investigate the association between preoperative parent and child behaviors and postoperative pain in toddlers and preschoolers. Method: Participants were 74 pediatric patients (59 boys, 15 girls), scheduled for inguinal hernia or hydrocele repair, and their parents. Children ranged in age from 12 to 64 months (M = 33.7 months, SD = 14.7 months). Child and parent behaviors were assessed 30 minutes prior to surgery using the Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS), a modified version of the Dyadic Prestressor Interaction Scale (Melamed and Bush, 1985). Postoperative pain was assessed using an observational measure, the Toddler-Preschooler Postoperative Pain Scale (TPPPS) (Tarbell Cohen, and Marsh, 1992). Results: Postoperative pain was negatively related to parents' provision of surgery- relevant information during the preoperative observation period. Conclusion: Preoperative interventions for young children should include information about the surgery experience.