A sugar-coated pacifier reduces procedural pain in newborns

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the efficacy of pacifiers and sugar, alone and in combination, for pain management in neonates.

Methods: An experimental design examined pain responses of 84 newborns undergoing heelstick. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (a) water-moistened pacifier, (b) sugar-coated pacifier, (c) 2 cc of a 12% oral sucrose solution, or (d) control. Pain measures were duration of cry, vagal tone, and salivary cortisol.

Results: Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the sugar-coated pacifier group cried significantly less than the water-moistened pacifier and control groups. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the sugar-coated pacifier group demonstrated significantly lower vagal tone during heelstick than the oral sucrose solution and control groups. This difference between the sugar-coated pacifier and control groups persevered for 15 minutes after heelstick.

Conclusions: Offering a sugar coated pacifier during heelstick in healthy neonates reduces pain behaviors more effectively than a water-moistened pacifier, 2 cc of a 12% sucrose solution, or no intervention.