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Utilization of Oral Sucrose to Decrease Pain in Infants During Immunizations

Efficacy of Oral Sucrose Analgesia During Routine Immunizations at 6 Weeks and 4 Months of Age

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00150189
Enrollment
140
Registered
2005-09-08
Start date
2003-11-01
Completion date
2006-10-11
Last updated
2018-05-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pain, Procedural Pain

Keywords

Pain, Procedural Pain, Sucrose, Infant, Newborn

Brief summary

The study explores the potential benefits of a sugar water solution for decreasing pain in infants during routine immunizations.

Detailed description

Acute pain during early life may alter infant pain responses, cognitive development, and behavioral outcomes. Immunization injections represent a relatively brief exposure to acute pain, yet assessment studies demonstrate that infants respond with significant distress during the injections. This study will examine the analgesic potential of oral sucrose in diminishing the pain associated with immunization injections in 6 week to 4-month-old infants. The proposed mechanism of action is via the activation of endogenous opioids that attenuate nociceptive information at the level of the dorsal horn. Comparison: Administration of oral sucrose 2 minutes prior to immunizations compared to administration of sterile water 2 minutes prior to immunizations

Interventions

BEHAVIORALSucrose

Sponsors

Children's Miracle Network
CollaboratorOTHER
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Weeks to 4 Months
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Currently between 2 and 4 months of age * Birth between 37 and 42 weeks' completed gestation; * Birth weight greater than 2.5 kg * No evidence of acute or chronic disease processes.

Exclusion criteria

* They are experiencing concurrent illness * They received an analgesic/sedative 6 hours prior to the office visit * The infant has breast fed 30 minutes prior to the visit or wishes to breast feed during or immediately after the immunization * The infant has been introduced to solid food * The infant may not receive a pacifier * The infant is diagnosed with a major congenital disorder where the behavioral responses to painful stimuli may be altered * Language barriers preclude the process of obtaining parental consent.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
The University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital Pain Scale will measure the primary outcome acute behavioral pain response. Measure will be recorded at baseline, immediately after immunizations and 3 minutes following immunizations

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Duration of analgesia during immunizations
Age related changes in behavioral pain response during immunizations

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026