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To evaluate and compare the efficacy of combined sucrose and non-nutritive sucking for analgesia in newborns undergoing minor painful procedure: a randomized controlled trial

Journal of Perinatology volume 36, pages 67–70 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of combined sucrose and non-nutritive sucking (NNS) for analgesia in newborn infants undergoing heel-stick procedures.

Study Design:

This randomized control trial was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital over a period of 1 year. One hundred and eighty full-term neonates with birth weight >2200 g and age >24 h were randomized to one of four interventions administered 2 min before the procedure: 2 ml of 30% sucrose (group I, n=45) or NNS (group II, n=45) or both (group III, n=45) or none (group IV, n=45). Primary outcome was composite score based on Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) score.

Result:

Baseline variables were comparable among the groups. Median (interquartile range) PIPP score was 3 (2 to 4) in group III as compared with 7 (6.5 to 8) in group I, 9 (7 to 11) in group II and 13 (10.5 to 15) in group IV. Group III had significant decrease in the median PIPP score compared with other groups (P=0.000). Median PIPP score also decreased significantly with any intervention as compared with no intervention (P=0.000).

Conclusion:

Sucrose and/or NNS are effective in providing analgesia in full-term neonates undergoing heel-stick procedures, with the combined intervention being more effective compared with any single intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Vadodara, India

    P Thakkar, K Goyal, B Javadekar & S Aiyer

  2. Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India

    K Arora

  3. Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, India

    R R Das

  4. Department of Community Medicine, IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, India

    S K Panigrahi

Authors
  1. P Thakkar
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  2. K Arora
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  3. K Goyal
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  4. R R Das
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  5. B Javadekar
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  6. S Aiyer
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  7. S K Panigrahi
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Correspondence to K Goyal.

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Thakkar, P., Arora, K., Goyal, K. et al. To evaluate and compare the efficacy of combined sucrose and non-nutritive sucking for analgesia in newborns undergoing minor painful procedure: a randomized controlled trial. J Perinatol 36, 67–70 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.122

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.122

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