According to this study:

* The analgesic and calming effects of sucrose in infants for painful procedures may extend to subsequent routine procedures.

In this double-blind, randomized, controlled study, 240 healthy, term, newborn infants, including those born to mothers with diabetes, were assigned to either a sucrose group (n = 120) or a placebo group (n = 120) prior to venipuncture. During a subsequent diaper change, the first 20 seconds of each infant's response was assessed using the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP). The PIPP was used because diaper changes yield behavioral and physiologic responses similar to the pain response, although to a lesser degree. A PIPP score of 6 or higher was indicative of pain.

Most of the infants had a diaper change within an hour of the venipuncture, with a mean time difference between the two procedures of 37 minutes in the sucrose group and 45 minutes in the placebo group. Forty percent of infants in the sucrose group had PIPP scores of 6 or higher, compared with 62% in the placebo group.

This study showed that infants' pain response was reduced with sucrose analgesia, even during subsequent routine procedures. The authors propose that prolonged analgesic and calming effects of sucrose may be particularly beneficial in ill and preterm infants, who tend to expend a great deal of energy and have greater pain responses to routine procedures.-JC