The effect of sucrose as pain relief/comfort during immunisation of 15‐month‐old children in health care centres: a randomised controlled trial

Aims and objectives To investigate the effect of 30% sucrose compared with a placebo (water) as pain relief and comfort during immunisation of 15‐month‐old children in health care centres. Background Children experience different levels of pain and distress during immunisation. Sweet solutions function as pain relief during immunisation for infants up to one year of age. However, there are few studies of older children. Design An experimental design in which the participants (15‐month‐old infants) were randomly assigned to an intervention group that received a 30% sugar solution or a control group that received a placebo (water). Methods The study was performed at three health care centres in a large Norwegian municipality. The parents of all 15‐month‐old infants who were recommended for vaccination (for measles, mumps and rubella) between 5 September 2013 and 31 March 2014 were invited to have their infant participate. Duration of crying was the outcome measure. Results A total of 114 children were included (59 in the intervention group, 55 in the control group). The intervention group infants’ crying was shorter (18 seconds mean) compared with the control group infants (33 seconds mean). The difference in crying duration between the groups was both statistically and clinically significant. Conclusion This trial revealed that 30% sucrose orally has a calming and pain‐relieving effect on 15‐month‐old infants during immunisation. Relevance to clinical practice Public health nurses should use a 30% sucrose solution for pain relief during immunisation of 15‐month‐old infants.