Oral Sucrose Effect for Pain Relief in Premature Infants

Background: Pain in neonates is known to cause adverse short and long-term effects. We decided to evaluate the effect of oral sucrose for relieving the procedural pain in premature neonates. Methodology: This is a prospective cross-over study which evaluated the pain after heel lance interventions. Oral sucrose 25% (0.5 ml) was administrated before the second heel lance intervention. The first intervention was performed without sucrose administration and we compared the intensity of pain perception. The interventions and the behavior of the patients were video recorded to improve the accuracy of the evaluation. PIPP (Premature Infant Pain Profile) score was used for assessment of pain after pain stimulus. Results: 24 premature neonates were included in this study. PIPP score was 6.42 when oral sucrose was used towards 13 when sucrose wasn't used (p = .005). Conclusion: Oral sucrose administration is a simple and efficient method for pain relief in case of premature infants.