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Updated: May 2, 2026
Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
A randomized controlled trial of clinician-led tactile stimulation to reduce pain during vaccination in infants
Anna Taddio1, Tommy Ho2, Charmy Vyas3
1University of Toronto, ON, Canada The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada anna.taddio@utoronto.ca.
Insights
Clinician-led tactile stimulation did not significantly reduce vaccination pain in infants. This study found no evidence to support its use for pain management in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pain Management
- Immunization Practices
Background:
- Clinician-led tactile stimulation, such as rubbing or applying pressure near injection sites, is known to reduce pain in children and adults during vaccinations.
- The effectiveness of this non-pharmacological intervention in infants, however, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the analgesic efficacy of clinician-led tactile stimulation in infants receiving vaccinations.
- To determine if tactile stimulation can be a viable strategy for mitigating vaccination-associated pain in infants.
Main Methods:
- A partially blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted with 121 infants undergoing vaccination.
- Infants were randomized to receive tactile stimulation or no intervention immediately before, during, and after vaccination.
- Infant pain was measured using the Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS), a validated observational tool.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in MBPS pain scores was observed between the tactile stimulation group (mean=7.2) and the control group (mean=7.6).
- Demographic characteristics of the infants were comparable between the two study groups.
- The P-value for the difference in pain scores was .245, indicating no significant effect.
Conclusions:
- Tactile stimulation is not recommended as an effective method for reducing vaccination pain in infants due to a lack of demonstrated benefit.
- Further research is needed to explore alternative or adjunct strategies for infant pain management during immunizations.
Background:
Clinician-led tactile stimulation (rubbing the skin adjacent to the injection site or applying pressure) has been demonstrated to reduce pain in children and adults undergoing vaccination.
Objective:
To evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of clinician-led tactile stimulation in infants undergoing vaccination.
Methods:
This was a partially blinded randomized controlled trial that included infants undergoing vaccination in a private clinic in Toronto. Infants were randomly allocated to tactile stimulation or no tactile stimulation immediately prior to, during, and after vaccination. The primary outcome was infant pain, assessed using a validated observational measure, the Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS; range = 0-10).
Results:
Altogether, 121 infants participated (n = 62 tactile stimulation; n = 59 control); demographics did not differ (P > .05) between groups. MBPS scores did not differ between groups: mean = 7.2 (standard deviation = 2.4) versus 7.6 (1.9); P = .245.
Conclusion:
Tactile stimulation cannot be recommended as a strategy to reduce vaccination pain in infants because of insufficient evidence of a benefit.
