There were 14 randomized trials in a Cochrane review , with a total of 1551 participants, examining the effectiveness of sweet-tasting solutions administered in the mouth of infants from one month to 12 months of age, in the reduction of needle-related procedural pain. The procedures included subcutaneous or intramuscular injections, venepuncture, and heel lance. Studies with circumcision, lumbar puncture or supra-pubic bladder aspirations were not included. Most studies administered the sweet solution 2 minute before the needle intervention. The controls received either no-treatment, water or saline.
Seven studies used various validated pain scales for outcome assessment: six of them reported lower pain scores in infants who had received sucrose. The only study with no effect was the only one using sucrose concentration as low as 12%. One study compared sucrose and Lidocaine-prilocaine cream and no significant difference was found in pain and cry duration. Most studies used the volume of 2 ml of the sucrose solution; the concentration varied from 12% to 75%. Due to the differences between the studies, the optimal concentration, volume or method of administration of the solution could not be identified
| Outcome | Number of participants (trials) | Control: Water | Intervention: Sweet-tasting solution | Effect size (95 % CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of first cry | 790 (7) | Mean from 7 to 158 seconds | Mean 13 seconds less than in control group | MD -13.5 sec ( -16.8 to -10.1) |
Date of latest search: 2012-08-09