Sugar solution should be routinely used for newborn pain relief during blood tests, Cochrane review finds

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By Olivia Bowthorpe

Administering sucrose to newborn babies can provide effective pain relief during venepuncture and other common hospital needle procedures, a new Cochrane review has found.

The findings suggest that sucrose reduces pain during and immediately after the needle procedure when compared to no treatment, water or standard care. The intervention proved especially effective when combined with non-nutritive sucking, such as using a pacifier or dummy.