Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital and York University have found that sucrose analgesia, or table sugar, reduces a baby’s pain response to routine care following a painful procedure. The study is in the March 2 issue of Pediatrics.

The study involved 240 infants. Before having blood drawn, half of the babies were treated with sucrose and half were given a placebo. Pain responses were measured during diaper changes performed after the blood tests. The study found that the sucrose-treated infants had lower pain scores than the placebo-treated infants.

The research shows that the benefits of sucrose analgesia extend beyond the painful event to other potentially uncomfortable procedures, says lead author Dr. Anna Taddio, an adjunct scientist and pharmacist at SickKids and an associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Toronto. This is the first study to determine the effects of sucrose on routine care activities performed after painful procedures, she says.

The research team’s previous study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last summer, revealed that sucrose is an effective painkiller in newborns undergoing painful medical procedures.

Sucrose has been considered beneficial for procedures lasting up to 10 minutes, however its effect on subsequent procedures was not determined. As this study showed that the benefits extend to procedures following the 10-minute mark, infants can continue to benefit from the sucrose without the need for additional doses.

While the underlying mechanism responsible for the sustained benefit of sucrose is not known, the study has important clinical implications – that sucrose may be recommended for caregiving procedures that follow painful events, said Taddio. Additional studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for the pain-relieving and calming actions of sucrose. The effectiveness of treating newborns with sucrose in other situations must also be investigated.

The study was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and SickKids Foundation.

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), affiliated with the University of Toronto, is Canada’s most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children’s health in the country. As innovators in child health, SickKids improves the health of children by integrating care, research and teaching. Our mission is to provide the best in complex and specialized care by creating scientific and clinical advancements, sharing our knowledge and expertise and championing the development of an accessible, comprehensive and sustainable child health system. For more information, please visit www.sickkids.ca. SickKids is committed to healthier children for a better world.

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as more than 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 26 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

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Media contact:
Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University: 416 736 2100 x22101, wallsj@yorku.ca