Although it seems preposterous to us now, as recently as the late 80s, doctors believed that babies couldn't feel pain. Surgery, including things like open heart surgery, on those below the age of one were routinely carried out without any anaesthetic, just a muscle relaxant to stop them flailing around too much (you know, in the same way people in pain do). The thinking behind the bizarre belief was that babies brains and nervous systems were too underdeveloped to function properly, and that they would not be able to experience pain as a result. They also thought that the pain responses that babies exhibited were just reflexes. This was backed up by the lack of conscious memory in early years, meaning that there could be no permanent damage from pain felt during that time. However, it is now accepted that babies probably experience more pain than an adult. Even though they may not be able to remember it in later life, the stress response triggered by pain, and the massive amounts of stress hormones released into the brain, can have serious long-term effects on the psychological development of the infant.
