To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Sucrose as Analgesic for Newborns Only Effective in Certain Procedures
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/224BD2.htm
Doctor's Guide
July 1, 2008

OTTAWA, Ontario -- July 1, 2008 -- Using sucrose to reduce pain in newborns undergoing painful procedures should be limited to babies having venipuncture for the newborn screening test but not for intramuscular injections, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Anna Taddio, PhD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, and colleagues aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sucrose in newborns undergoing various medical procedures within 2 days of birth in this double-blind, randomised, controlled trial.

Included in the study were 240 newborns of diabetic mothers (n = 120) and nondiabetic mothers (n = 120) born at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. Each newborn received 2 mL of a 24% sucrose solution or a placebo solution before all procedures. The Premature Infant Pain Profile was used to assess pain.

Researchers found that the overall mean pain score was lower among newborns who received sucrose compared with those who received a placebo. During venipuncture, newborns who received sucrose had lower pain scores compared with those who received a placebo.

However, they did not observe analgesic effects during intramuscular injections of vitamin K in either treatment group or during repeated heel-lancing for blood glucose monitoring in newborns of diabetic mothers.

When each procedure was analysed separately, the authors found that the effectiveness of sucrose was limited to venipuncture for the newborn screening test.

As all newborns experience pain from medical procedures in the first days of life, the results of this study will be helpful in reducing pain responses. The authors recommend updating pain management guidelines to reflect these findings.

SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet*
located at http://www.docguide.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Return to News Story Page

This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com
Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs.
All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc.
All rights reserved.