Sucrose analgesia in neonates

Background

• Strong sweet solutions like glucose reduce the physiological and behavioural indicators of pain following painful procedures in neonates
• Glucose is an inexpensive and easy method that is well accepted by the babies
• It can be used for pain relief during minor procedures, like blood sampling, heel lance, venipuncture and immunisation

Indications

• Infants prior to heel-prick, venipuncture, blood sampling, LP or other invasive procedures
• Age less than 28 days

Dose

Baby >.5kg wt

• 0.2-0.25ml of 24% Sucrose (Sweetease) dropped on the anterior tongue in divided doses 2 minutes before procedure
• Continue during procedure for a total dose of 2mls (action lasts approximately five minutes)

Baby <1500g wt

• 0.1-0.2ml administered as above
• Maximum dose: 0.5ml (Max of 4 doses in 24 hours)
  

Contraindications

• Ventilated and/or paralysed babies
• Babies with NEC
• Neonates with known fructose intolerance
• Glucose-galactose malabsorption
• Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency
• Oesophageal Atresia or tracheal oesophageal fistula
• Altered gag/swallow reflexes
• Pre-op sedated patients due to risk of aspiration
• Neonates < 31 weeks post-conceptional age
• Maximum age of 52 weeks corrected conceptional age
• Parental refusal

Side effects

• No side effects have been reported