PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ramenghi, L. A. AU - Wood, C. M. AU - Griffith, G. C. AU - Levene, M. I. TI - Reduction of pain response in premature infants using intraoral sucrose. AID - 10.1136/fn.74.2.F126 DP - 1996 Mar 01 TA - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition PG - F126--F128 VI - 74 IP - 2 4099 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/74/2/F126.short 4100 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/74/2/F126.full SO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed1996 Mar 01; 74 AB - The potential of sucrose to reduce the pain response in a group of healthy premature infants was investigated. Fifteen infants of 32-34 weeks postmenstrual age were tested in a blind crossover manner on two separate occasions no more than two days apart. Either 1 ml of 25% sucrose solution or sterile water was syringed into the baby's mouth 2 minutes before routine heel lancing. Response to the painful stimuli was measured by duration of cry and by facial expression (pain score). There was a significant reduction in the duration of first cry, the percentage of time spent crying in the 5 minutes after heel prick, and the pain score in the sucrose treated group. It is concluded that sucrose has analgesic effects in healthy premature infants.