Centre for Pediatric Pain Research

08/29/2025

Launching on September 2nd, during International Pain Awareness Month, is the Action on Pain podcast.

Created by pain advocates Jennifer Daly-Cyr, Virginia McIntyre, and Keith Meldrum, this podcast is unique in being hosted by individuals with lived experience, and focuses on Health Canada’s Action Plan for Pain in Canada, highlighting progress on its six national goals.

Supported by the Chronic Pain Network, this podcast aims to mobilize knowledge and raise awareness of advocacy efforts and chronic pain research across Canada.

08/29/2025

💊Opioids aren’t the first or only option for managing pain – but when used appropriately, they're an important tool that helps many people manage their pain effectively. Like any medicine, it’s important to know what the side-effects may be and what to do in case too much medicine is taken (an overdose).

🔍 SKIP has resources to help!

📘Developed by SKIP’s Western hub, this handout for families explains how opioids can be used safely: https://tinyurl.com/46jtsj69

🛡️ Naloxone can be used if an opioid overdose happens. Learn about take-home naloxone kits in this tool developed by SKIP’s Francophone hub: https://tinyurl.com/muns9sc3

🔗 SKIP’s Youth in Pain project created resources for youth, families and health professionals to support the safe, effective, and equitable use of opioids for managing pain in youth. Visit the page for more resources: https://kidsinpain.ca/youth-in-pain/

08/25/2025

Pediatric pain is not a specialized concern, it’s a universal entry point to building trust, ensuring access, and delivering high-quality, safe care. Canada is leading the way with the first national health standard for Pediatric Pain Management, recognizing preventable, untreated, and unmanaged pain as a patient safety incident.

Join our panel of experts on World Patient Safety Day Webinar to gain insights, co-learn and receive a certificate of attendance: https://hubs.la/Q03CqnTf0

08/14/2025

Dr. Justine Dol featured on CBC Information morning today talking about her study and her innovative digital health solution supporting new parents via text messaging!

Are you >28 weeks pregnant with your first baby? Or have you given birth to your first baby within the past week? Live in Nova Scotia? Do you want to receive text messages for your first 6 weeks postpartum? Follow Empower Research Program to learn more and sign up!

08/13/2025

Have you filled out the Solutions for Kids in Pain survey - there's still time to do so and have a chance to win a SKIP swag prize! 👇

🧠💬 We want to hear from YOU!

SKIP is working on two exciting new projects:
✨ A bold new strategic plan
✨ An interactive implementation guide to bring Canada’s Pediatric Pain Management Health Standard to life

To make these tools truly impactful, we need your insights. 💡

Take our short survey before Sept 15th and help shape the future of pediatric pain solutions — and you could win a SKIP swag prize pack! 🎁💙

Click here to share your thoughts!🔗 https://app.simplycast.ca/?q=lp/show&lp=fChnPKgrwFFcqZrp

08/12/2025

🚨 Webinar Alert!
Join the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit for a free, online webinar on September 10, from 12–1 pm AT!

This session will explore how Canada’s pediatric pain management standard—co-developed by SKIP and Health Standards Organization - HSO—is being put into practice across the Maritimes. Learn how SKIP, IWK Health, and rural hospitals are working together to turn national standards into meaningful change across diverse care settings.

🔗 Register for free: https://mssu.ca/event/learning-in-action-transforming-national-guidance-in-pediatric-pain-into-local-impact/

08/10/2025

We are looking for volunteers to partner with at IWK Health! There is a new project that will shape how we can improve care.

Patient and Family Partners will help design new Quality Improvement boards, as well as the ways patients, families and staff can share their ideas at IWK Health.

Your experiences, voice, and ideas matter. You can help guide meaningful changes in how we deliver care. Patient and family partners will have options to partner through email, virtual meetings and possibly in person.

To learn more about this or other Patient and Family Partner opportunities, please contact:
IWK People Centred Care pcc@iwk.nshealth.ca (902) 470-6896 or visit https://iwkhealth.ca/get-involved/patient-and-family-partners-program

08/07/2025

Breastfeeding is one way that you can instantly relieve your baby’s pain. In fact, breastfeeding provides comfort to all babies, including those born prematurely or those receiving medical procedures in the hospital.

Listen to this mom’s story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y49FOGtmwo

Learn how to instantly relieve your baby’s pain and provide comfort when she is in pain.Jack Hourigan's daughter was born severely premature. During the 80 d...

08/04/2025

Hey Parents....do your kids have a vaccination appointment coming up soon? Check out this video with pain management hacks from parents just like you to help your kids with their next needle.

Mom Hack No 1: Breastfeeding helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUQgQb5iXPg

To keep kids safe, many families are opting to get their gets vaccinated. We asked moms for some simple and easy things they've tried that helped their kids ...

08/03/2025

SmartParent in Nova Scotia offers people who are pregnant the option of perinatal education being sent directly to their cell phones. The pilot program, available from IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health Public Health, offers text messages from pregnancy and child health experts that guide expectant parents through the transformative weeks of pregnancy and the first year of their child's life.

Parents can enrol in the free service by texting the keyword ‘Baby’ to 12323 or by going to www.smartparent.ca and clicking Enrol Now.

https://iwkhealth.ca/pregnancy/smartparent-prenatal-support-program

08/01/2025

Did you know that every newborn baby undergoes painful procedures in the first hours and days of life as part of routine hospital care?

The good news is parents can make a difference!

Watch this short video to learn how researchers have found parents can use breastfeeding and skin-to-skin to help comfort their newborns during painful procedures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nqN9c3FWn8

Every newborn baby undergoes painful procedures in the first hours and days of life as part of routine hospital care, but the good news is parents can make a...

07/24/2025

Have your say in shaping future research!

We’re inviting youth and adults with childhood-onset physical disabilities, their caregivers, and healthcare providers to take part in the second phase of a research study. You’ll help rank the most important research questions in childhood physical disability, based on input gathered in our first survey. Your feedback will help us determine the top research questions in childhood physical disability.

Please review the poster to see if you are eligible to partake. If so, you can take the survey at: https://redcap.link/mwa5mpr9

For more information, email Sofia1.So@iwk.nshealth.ca