Sugar can Calm Babies During Immunization Jabs

A new study by Cochrane researchers has found that sugar can indeed have a calming effect on babies during their immunization jabs.

The researchers analyzed around 14 different studies involving more than 1,500 infants, including a small study published in The Lancet a couple of years ago.

The researchers found that the infants who were given a sugary solution to suck when they underwent immunization or a heel-prick blood test were less likely to cry compared to those who were given water.

Lead researcher Dr Manal Kassab, from the Jordan University of Science and Technology, admitted that they were unable to determine whether sugar was also able to reduce the pain. "Giving babies something sweet to taste before injections may stop them from crying for as long. Although we can't confidently say that sugary solutions reduce needle pain, these results do look promising", Dr Kassab said.

Source: Medindia