Routine Sucrose Analgesia During the First Week of Life in Neonates Younger Than 31 Weeks’ Postconceptional Age

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Abstract
Objective. To determine the efficacy of sucrose analgesia for procedural pain during the first week of life in preterm neonates in neonatal intensive care units on enhancing later clinical outcomes. Methods. A total of 107 preterm neonates who were born at Results. Although there were no differences between the groups on any outcomes, there were significant dose-related effects within each group. In the sucrose group only, higher number of doses of sucrose predicted lower scores on motor development and vigor, and alertness and orientation at 36 weeks’, lower motor development and vigor at 40 weeks’, and higher NBRS at 2 weeks’ postnatal age. Higher number of invasive procedures was predictive of higher NBRS both times in the water group. Conclusions. Repeated use of sucrose analgesia in infants <31 weeks’ PCA may put infants at risk for poorer neurobehavioral development and physiologic outcomes. Additional study is needed to determine the most appropriate age and duration of sucrose analgesia in preterm infants.