Use of narcotics and sedatives among very preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units in China: an observational cohort study.

Narcotic and/or sedative administration is relatively conservative for very preterm infants in Chinese neonatal intensive care units, with significant variation among hospitals. Since narcotic and sedative use might be related to adverse neonatal outcomes, a pressing and developing need for national quality improvement initiatives is seen with respect to pain/stress management for very preterm infants.