Sucrose as an Analgesic Agent for Infants During Immunization Injections

doi:10.1001/archpedi.1996.02170280040007

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Vol. 150 No. 3, March 1996

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Sucrose as an Analgesic Agent for Infants During Immunization Injections

Keith D. Allen, PhD; Deborah D. White, MA; John N. Walburn, MD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150(3):270-274.

Abstract

Objective
To assess the effectiveness of sucrose as an analgesic agentduring routine immunization injections for infants (age range,2 weeks to 18 months).

Study Design
Double-blind, randomized control trial.

Setting
Ambulatory care clinic of a large tertiary care center.

Participants
A consecutive sample of 285 infants were randomly assigned toone of three treatment groups.

Intervention
Subjects received either no intervention or drank 2 mL of sterilewater or 2 mL of a 12% sucrose solution 2 minutes before administrationof the immunization.

Main Outcome Measure
Infants were videotaped during immunization for later intervalrecording of pain-induced vocalizations.

Results
Results were analyzed by using two-way repeated measure analysesof variance. Two-week-old infants who received either the sterilewater or sucrose solution cried significantly less than infantswho received no intervention (F=5.92, P<.005). For olderinfants, those who received water or sucrose cried significantlyless only if they were administered one injection rather thantwo injections (F=3.36, P<.05).

Conclusions
We found that when infants drank sucrose or sterile water, significantlyfewer pain vocalizations were produced, but only for 2-week-oldinfants. For older infants, differences were found only whenthe number of injections was included in the analysis. We expandon previous findings by demonstrating that both the age of thechild and the number of painful exposures can attenuate calmingeffects. In addition, the results suggest that in the absenceof nonnutritive sucking, the actual analgesic effects of sucrosemay be nonspecific. Further study is needed of the possibleanalgesic effects of sucrose.

(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150:270-274)

Author Affiliations

From the Division of Pediatric Psychology, Meyer Rehabilitation Institute (Dr Allen and Ms White) and the Department of Pediatrics (Drs Allen and Walburn and Ms White), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha.

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