Oral glucose to reduce pain of venipuncture in newborns

January 01, 0001

Oral glucose to reduce pain of venipuncture in newborns

The objective of this study by Belgian researchers was to investigate whether of glucose is effective in reducing pain for venipuncture in the newborn. They conducted a double-blind clinical trial of 304 newborns on a maternity and neonatal ward (neonatal medium intensive care unit). During at least 1 month, 2 ml of one of the four selected solutions (10, 20, 30% glucose, and placebo) was administered orally, 2 minutes before the venipuncture was performed. The pain from the skin puncture was scored using a validated pain scale - the Leuven Pain Scale.

They found: "This study showed a significantly lower average pain score in the 30 percent glucose group (3.99) when compared with the placebo group (8.43). The average pain scores in the 20 percent glucose group (5.26) and the 10 percent glucose group (5.92) were also significantly lower than those in the placebo group."

The authors concluded: "Oral administration of 2 mL of 30 percent glucose 2 minutes before the venipuncture provides the most effective pain reduction in newborns."

This is a simple and inexpensive approach to analgesia for such newborn procedures.


For the full abstract, click here.

Birth 37(2):98-105, June 2010 © 2010 to Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oral Glucose Solution as Pain Relief in Newborns: Results of a Clinical Trial. Ben Dilen and Monique Elseviers.

Category: A. General/Unspecified. Keywords: glucose solution, newborn, nonpharmacologic pain relief, pain, venipuncture, randomized controlled trial, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 13 July 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

COVID-19 Resources

WONCA webinars, journal links and more

WONCA position statements

WONCA statements on a variety of issues

PEARLS

577 Individual behavioural counselling helps people to quit smoking 575 Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements may be beneficial in age-related macular degeneration 574 Oral antifungals effective for toenail onychomycosis 570 Decision aids beneficial for people facing health treatment or screening decisions 569 Computer-generated reminders on paper benefit quality of care