Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
[Analgesic effect of breastfeeding when taking blood by heel-prick in newborns]
G Saitua Iturriaga1, A Aguirre Unceta-Barrenechea, K Suárez Zárate
1Hospital de Basurto, Bilbao, Vizcaya, España. gabriel.saituaiturriaga@osakidetza.net
Objective:
To compare the analgesic effectiveness of breastfeeding when taking blood by the heel-lance procedure in healthy newborns, as opposed to other procedures.
Patients And Methods:
We studied 228 term infants from the Maternity Unit of our Hospital. The study was developed in two consecutive phases. In the first stage, 150 newborns were distributed into three randomised groups, the first group (50 newborns) did not receive any specific analgesic intervention; the second and third groups (50 newborns) received non-nutritive sucking-placebo or non-nutritive sucking-24% sucrose respectively. In the second phase, 78 newborns participated, and the blood was taken during breast-feeding. The results on a discomfort scale were compared with those obtained in the rest of examined analgesic procedures.
Results:
The group that received analgesia with breast-feeding showed a score on the discomfort scale of 0'62 and an average time of crying of 0'19s. The comparative analysis of the results obtained during breastfeeding, as opposed to the rest of procedures, showed that breast-feeding is the best analgesic option, with a reduction in the discomfort of 51% and of 98% in the time of crying (P<0,001).
Conclusions:
Breast-feeding during the blood test by heel-prick procedure represents the most effective analgesic method. A containment procedure along with non-nutritive sucking is the analgesic method of choice in the newborn that does not receive maternal lactation.
Related Concept Videos
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia
One of the advantages of...
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Temperature Measurement Sites
Oral: When assessing oral temperature, the thermometer tip should be placed under the tongue in the posterior sublingual pocket. It offers accurate readings and can be...

