Effectiveness of Oral Sucrose Sucking for Procedural Pain Management in Preterm and Term Neonates

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of oral sucrose sucking prior to minor invasive procedures in pain reduction among term and preterm neonates. Materials and Methods: The research design was true experimental posttest only control group design with convenient sampling technique. The total study sample consisted of 60 term and preterm neonates for minor invasive procedure in NICU of CAIMS hospital were selected (30 experimental, 30 control group). Unpaired t-test was used to test the statistical significance and Fisher exact test was used to test the relationship between the demographic variables and pain scores. The tool used to assess the pain score was Lawrence’s neonatal pain scale (NIPS). Results: With available recent research evidences the results were compared in the nursing practice on safe administration of sucrose sucking prior to minor invasive (heel lance/venepuncture) procedure in term and preterm neonates. There is significant difference in the control and experimental group of neonates in pain reduction with t-test value of 7.73197 and the P value of <0.05. Conclusion: Use of nonpharmacological methods (sucrose sucking) is usually practical and easily implemented in daily care and can provide neonatal nurses with a range of methods for preventing procedural pain and protecting neonates.