Baby immunisations cry out for sweet solution

SWEET solutions provide effective pain relief when immunising infants beyond the post-natal period, researchers have shown.

Oral glucose, sucrose and other sweet solutions are effective analgesics for neonates but little is known about their efficacy in older infants.

However, oral sucrose or glucose reduced crying in 13 of the 14 randomised controlled trials reviewed in a meta-analysis by Canadian, Australian and Brazilian researchers. 

Administering a 30% glucose solution to infants before immunisation reduced the incidence of crying afterwards by 20%, a review of three studies showed.

Crying duration was also reduced in the group treated with 12% sucrose compared with control solution, although the sample size in this analysis was only 62 infants.

The authors noted the analgesic effects of sweet solutions in the studies were more modest than those observed in newborns.

While the best dose of sucrose or glucose could not be determined from the analysis, the authors said higher concentrations of each solution seemed to be more effective in infants aged up to 12 months.

“Either sucrose or glucose could be used…as long as the solutions are sufficiently sweet. That is, at least 30% glucose or 24% sucrose,” the authors said.

They recommended sweet solution be given before and during the procedure for multiple immunisations.

Arch Dis Child, online first, 12 May 2010