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| Vol. 24, No. 21 |
| November 15, 2002 |
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Sugar Therapy Relieves Pain in Infants In the classic film, “Mary Poppins,” the beloved nanny sang, “Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down,” much to the delight of her young charges.Specialists at Texas Children’s Hospital are bringing the song to life with a groundbreaking sugar therapy that relieves pain in infants. “We began sucrose therapy in June and documented significant pain reduction during routine procedures, such as needle sticks and intravenous-line placements,” said Carol Turnage Carrier, a registered nurse and neonatal clinical nurse specialist at Texas Children’s. “The smallest babies have the longest hospital stays and most complex courses of care,” said James Adams, M.D., medical director of Texas Children’s Newborn Center and professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “These infants will have multiple diagnostic and medical procedures that can be uncomfortable. “Sucrose can be used on virtually any infant, and we have not documented any negative effects,” Adams continued. Sucrose is available commercially in a 24 percent sucrose solution mixed with water. The mixture acts as a narcotic, calming and soothing babies’ nerves without any lasting effects. The pain relief lasts as long as the procedure and for a short time after, without the sedation or other side effects of a narcotic analgesic. Babies less than 35 weeks old receive a 0.2-milliliter dose orally every two minutes, up to three doses per procedure. Babies more than 35 weeks receive a one-milliliter dose. Research suggests that non-nutritive sucking is effective for minor pain, so a pacifier is offered after the sucrose. Nurse specialists observing sucrose procedures document minimal crying, lower heart rates and lower pain scores in infants receiving sucrose than in those who do not. “We began by using sucrose therapy on 21 percent of babies in the intermediate units,” Turnage-Carrier said. “Less than a month later, 74 percent of babies were receiving it, and the number continues to rise.” Prior to sucrose therapy, infants couldn’t receive pain medication because medical procedures were too short and didn’t justify the use of narcotics for brief periods of minor pain. Pacifiers and heel warmers were used to reduce discomfort. “We now use sucrose in conjunction with comforting techniques, greatly increasing the babies’ comfort,” Adams said. “It’s is a major step forward in pain therapy.” – Jennifer Hart
©2006 Texas Medical Center
E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
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