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Updated: Dec 8, 2025
Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
Effects of Sucrose and Nonnutritive Sucking on Pain Behavior in Neonates and Infants undergoing Wound Dressing after
Sahatsa Mandee1, Kusuma Buachai1, Naiyana Aroonpruksakul1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Oral sucrose and a pacifier did not significantly reduce pain behaviors in infants during wound dressing compared to a pacifier alone. High-intensity pain responses highlight the need for better pediatric pain management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pain Management
- Neonatal Care
- Postoperative Pain Assessment
Background:
- Wound dressing in pediatric patients can elicit significant pain responses.
- Effective pain management for neonates and infants undergoing procedures is crucial.
- This study investigated sucrose and pacifier interventions for procedural pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of 24% sucrose combined with a pacifier versus a pacifier alone in mitigating pain responses during wound dressing in neonates and infants.
- To compare pain behavioral responses and crying time between the two intervention groups.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 32 neonates and infants undergoing surgery.
- Participants were assigned to either a pacifier group or a 24% sucrose plus pacifier group.
- Pain behaviors were assessed using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) and video recording.
Main Results:
- The sucrose group was older than the pacifier group.
- No significant differences in NIPS scores were observed at 30, 120, or 240 seconds.
- A lower incidence of moderate-to-severe pain was noted in the sucrose group at 120 seconds, though crying time was not significantly different.
Conclusions:
- 24% sucrose with a pacifier was not superior to a pacifier alone in reducing pain behaviors during wound dressing.
- Wound dressing procedures in pediatric patients can induce high-intensity pain responses.
- Improved pain management strategies are necessary for postoperative procedural pain in pediatric patients.
Introduction:
Wound dressing, a procedure that pediatric patients are commonly exposed to postoperatively, can cause strong physiological and pain behavioral responses despite being brief. This study evaluated the effects of using 24% sucrose plus a pacifier versus a pacifier alone to reduce the pain response from dressing wounds in neonates and infants.
Materials And Methods:
Thirty-two neonates and infants who underwent surgery and required postoperative wound dressing were randomized to a pacifier group (n = 16) and a 24% sucrose plus pacifier group ("sucrose group"; n = 16). Demographic data, crying time, and pain behaviors were recorded using a video recorder. The pain behaviors were assessed independently using the neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS) by three assessors, who were expert in pediatric pain assessment and blinded to the subject allocations.
Results:
Participants in the sucrose group were older than those in the pacifier group (6.19 ± 2.95 vs. 3.88 ± 3.2 months). While there were no differences in the NIPS scores of the two groups at 30, 120, and 240 seconds, the incidence of moderate-to-severe pain was lower in the sucrose group than the pacifier group at 120 seconds (37.5 vs. 50%). The crying time was lower in the sucrose group, but without statistical significance.
Conclusion:
The 24% sucrose plus pacifier was not superior to the pacifier alone in decreasing pain behavioral responses. Dressing wound pain produced a high-intensity pain behavioral response. A pain management strategy should be developed to lessen the postoperative procedural pain in pediatric patients.
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