Sucrose analgesia for minor procedures in newborn infants.

Abstract

To evaluate the role of intraoral sucrose and other sweet-tasting solutions for the management of pain associated with minor procedures in newborns. A search of MEDLINE articles from 1966 to August 1999 and an extensive review of journals was conducted. MeSH headings included analgesia, sucrose, and neonate. Newborn infants regularly undergo minor invasive procedures for which analgesics are not routinely used. Intraoral sucrose and other sweet-tasting solutions appear to diminish surrogate biomarkers of pain response as evidenced by a reduction in crying time, smaller increases in heart rate, and lower pain scale ratings. These studies appear to suggest that sucrose solution 0.5 g provides effective analgesia with no reported adverse effects.