Sugar could help cut jab pain for babies

A SPOONFUL of sugar really could help the medicine go down – or at least help with injections – research suggests.

A study has found that giving babies something sugary before immunisations makes them less likely to cry and could help numb pain.

A sugary solution can act as an analgesic and make youngsters feel more comfortable, experts said.

Researchers from Canada, Australia and Brazil analysed data from babies aged up to one year as part of the study, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

They looked at 14 clinical trials, involving a total of 1,674 injections.

The impact of giving a child of a solution containing sucrose or glucose, compared to water or no treatment, was assessed as part of the review.

Infants receiving a 30 per cent glucose solution were 20 per cent less likely to cry following a jab, results showed.

Sucrose and glucose solutions also led to a 10 per cent reduction in the proportion of time a baby spent crying.

The babies were only given small amounts of sucrose or glucose – between a few drops and half a teaspoon.

Researchers said health workers should consider giving youngsters a sugary solution, although the best dose could not be determined on the basis of their study.

They concluded: "Infants aged one to 12 months administered sucrose or glucose before immunisation had moderately reduced incidence and duration of crying."