Breastfeeding versus dextrose as analgesic in newborns: A prospective study

Abstract

To assess the level of pain in infants in the control group and the experimental group before and after routine procedures. Secondly, to determine the effect of peroral dextrose solution and breastfeeding on procedural pain in infants in the experimental group. This index study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics of F.H. Medical College, Etmadpur, India. The newborns enrolled were late pre-term and full-term, having gestational age 34 weeks to 42 weeks. The enrolled newborns were either partial or complete breastfeeding and were assigned heel prick procedures. Newborns were randomized into 2 groups for analgesia, i.e., breastfeeding and 25% peroral dextrose solution. The independent variables were peroral 25% dextrose solution and breastfeeding. The dependent variable was procedural pain (heel prick) in the study groups. The primary outcome variable was the Premature Infant Pain Profile score. PIPP score consists of 2 physiologic indicators of pain (i.e., heart rate and oxygen saturation), two contextual factors (i.e., corrected gestational age and behavioral state), and three behavioral indicators (i.e., brow bulge, eye squeeze, and nasolabial furrow). The greater the PIPP score, the higher the pain perception. PIPP scores were assigned prior to the stimulus and post 30 sec after the stimulus. The mean pain score of 9.7 and 4.7 in the dextrose and breastfeeding groups, respectively, proves significant differences (-value 0.000) were found in them. A lesser mean score in the breastfeeding group signifies the importance of breastfeeding during painful procedures compared to dextrose. The mean pain scores of both groups showed that pain was more prevalent in the dextrose group than in the feeding group. Hence, it is clear that the effect of breastfeeding reduced the pain among newborns in comparison to dextrose. Breastfeeding and 25% peroral dextrose solution have analgesic effects during procedural pain. Breastfeeding has a significantly superior analgesic effect during procedural pain among newborns as compared to dextrose. Breastfeeding should preferably be chosen as a nonpharmacological intervention during procedural pain in newborns.