Babies ‘more sensitive to pain’ than adults

MRI scans of babies' brains found that 18 of the 20 pain regions are as active as an adult's, according to the University of Oxford research.

It had previously been believed that babies do not feel pain in the same way as adults.

Eleri Adams, clinical director of Newborn Care Services Oxford University Hospital said doctors perform many painful procedures on babies who require intensive care.

“We’d like to use this information to understand better the drugs and medications and procedures that we might be able to do to minimise the response that they are obtaining,” she said.