The effect of two different methods used during peripheral venous blood collection on pain reduction in neonates.

The purpose of the present study was to examine and compare the analgesic effects of breast feeding and sucrose solutions in reducing pain due to venipuncture in term neonates. 102 term infants requiring a venous blood sample for routine screening of phenylketonuria (n=26) and hyperbilirubinemia (n= 76) were included in the study. The participants were allocated into one of the sucrose, breast feeding, and control groups. Allocation of the infants into groups was performed due to mothers' wishes whereas the control group included the infants on whom routine procedures of the hospital were performed. In order to assess the pain response of the neonates before, during and after venipuncture, Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) was used and their heart rates, oxygen saturation levels and length of crying were noted. The crying time (seconds) was shorter both sucrose (9.56+/-12.96) and breast feeding (28.62+/-33.71) than the control group (103.50+/-63.69). No difference was found in the analgesic effect of breast feeding compared with sucrose, when assessed with the NIPS. The mean heart rate did not significantly differ among three groups before, during and after procedure. During procedure, the mean oxygen saturation levels of sucrose group were found significantly higher than the control group, but no difference was observed between sucrose and breast feeding groups. This study has confirmed some well known information that breast feeding and oral sucrose solution have pain reducing effects in infants undergoing venipuncture.