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Effective pain reduction for multiple immunization injections in young infants

Evelyn Cohen Reis1, Erika Kraus Roth, Janet L Syphan

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583, USA. evelyn.reis@chp.edu

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|November 12, 2003
PubMed

Insights

A simple intervention combining sucrose, oral tactile stimulation, and parental holding significantly reduced infant crying during multiple immunization injections. Parents strongly preferred this pain-reduction method for future use.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Pain Management
  • Immunization Practices

Background:

  • Infants often experience significant pain during multiple immunization injections.
  • Effective and feasible pain reduction strategies are needed for infant immunizations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility, and parental acceptance of a combined pain reduction intervention for infants undergoing multiple immunizations.
  • To assess the impact of sucrose, oral tactile stimulation, and parental holding on infant pain responses during vaccinations.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted at an academic hospital-based primary care center.
  • Infants receiving 2-month immunizations (4 injections) were randomized to an intervention group (sucrose, oral tactile stimulation, parental holding) or a control group (standard practice).
  • Outcomes included blinded assessment of crying duration, heart rate, parent preference, and nurse-rated ease of administration.

Main Results:

  • The intervention group showed significantly reduced crying duration compared to the control group (median 19.0 vs 57.5 seconds, P =.002).
  • Parents in the intervention group expressed a significantly stronger preference for future use of the technique (median VAS 97.0 vs 44.0, P<.001).
  • Nurse-rated ease of vaccine administration was similar between groups.

Conclusions:

  • A combination of sucrose, oral tactile stimulation, and parental holding effectively reduces infant pain and crying during multiple immunization injections.
  • This intervention is feasible, well-accepted by parents, and easy for nurses to implement.
  • This approach offers a valuable strategy for improving the infant immunization experience.
Abstract

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