ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Pediatrica 2001 August;53(4):271-4

Copyright © 2001 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Glucose or sucrose as an analgesic for newborns: a randomised controlled blind trial

Guala A., Pastore G., Liverani M. E., Giroletti G., Gulino E., Meriggi A. L., Licardi G., Garipoli V.

Background. To evaluate the effect of different oral glucose or sucrose solutions on the pain response to heelstick in newborns.
Methods. Design: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial of water (control) versus one of three solutions of glucose ­ namely 5, 33 and 50% ­ or one of two solutions of sucrose (33% and 50%) or nothing. Setting: postnatal ward. Patients: seven groups of 20 healthy newborns (gestational age 38-41, weighing over 2500 g) were randomised to receive 2 ml of one of the six solutions on the tongue inmediately before heelstick procedure. Main outcome measure: heart rate before, during and three minutes after the procedure.
Results. Even if the trend of the cardiac rates did not reach statistic significance, glucose solution 33 and 50% proved to be the most effective in reducing pain response.
Conclusions. Sweet solutions may be an easy, useful, safe and cheap analgesic for minor invasive procedures in newborns.