Which pediatric pain assessment tool is appropriate for a nonverbal infant?

• A. FLACC scale (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability)
• B. Wong-Baker FACES scale
• C. Numeric Rating Scale
• D. Faces Pain Scale—Revised

Answer: (A)

Assessing pain in nonverbal infants relies on observable cues because they cannot describe their pain. The FLACC scale uses five behavior domains—Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability—and assigns 0–2 points for each, totaling 0–10. This makes it suitable for infants who can’t verbalize, since you’re rating what you actually see: facial expression, leg position, body movement, crying, and how easily the child is consoled. The other scales require the child to report pain or choose a facial expression or number that represents their pain level, which preverbal infants cannot do. So, FLACC provides a reliable, behavior-based assessment to guide analgesia for a nonverbal infant.