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Sugar 'Comforts Babies During Immunizations'
Source: BBC News
12/11/2012
A new Cochrane review of 14 studies involving more than 1,500 infants receiving routine immunizations or heel-prick blood tests indicate that babies given a sugary solution to suck just prior to injection cried less than those given water. According to the researchers, led by Dr. Manal Kassab of the Jordan University of Science and Technology, more research is needed to determine whether sugar relieves pain or simply pacifies babies. Kassab said, “Giving babies something sweet to taste before injections may stop them from crying for as long. Although we can’t confidently say that sugary solutions reduce needle pain, these results do look promising.” However, Dr David Elliman of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health says doctors do not routinely offer a sugar solution, asking mothers to hold, comfort, and even breastfeed babies or distract older children during immunization.
