Oral sucrose administration to reduce pain response during immunization in 16–19-month infants: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Although the analgesic effect of sucrose on newborns is well established, little is known about whether these solutions are effective in reducing procedural pain in infants beyond the newborn period. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sucrose solution given orally on infant crying times and measure the distress in a 16–19-month age group. A total of 537 healthy, 16–19-month-old infants attending for their immunizations with intramuscular diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP)/Haemophilus influenza type b/IPV (along with oral polio vaccination (OPV)), intramuscular pneumococcus and intramuscular hepatitis A were randomized to receive 2 mL of a 75 % sucrose solution, a 25 % sucrose solution or sterile water 2 min before injections. Infants receiving a 75 % sucrose solution had significantly reduced total crying times and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores (CHEOPS) compared with infants in the control and 25 % sucrose solution groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Sucrose solution reduces infant distress and is safe and clinically useful even for 16–19-month-old infants.