SUGAR WATER FOR YOUNG INFANTS

There is no evidence the other methods are not safe for even the new born little one, but if your doctor and/or nurse is just too leery to use the above methods on your very young baby, a recently done study discovered that simply feeding a baby an oral syringe filled with sugar water while the needle stick procedure is being done and then giving them a pacifier, cuts down on crying, grimacing, wincing, and other signs of pain. It figures. The pleasure center of the brain and the pain center of the brain very rarely can both be firing full speed ahead, at once.  Stimulating one turns off or turns down, the other.

The way it was done in the experiment is, slowly give 1.5 to 2 cc's of 12% sucrose in an oral syringe over a two minute period. Wait two minutes before starting the procedure, and then give the remaining sucrose on a pacifier or gloved finger. Afterwards, if needed, the dose may be repeated. This works best for neonates but it may be used on infants up to three months, by which time it should be all right to try the other methods.
 

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