Effective pain reduction for multiple immunization injections in young infants.

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.