Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29475433›Full record

Trial reportBMC pediatrics2018

The minimally effective dose of sucrose for procedural pain relief in neonates: a randomized controlled trial.

Bonnie Stevens, Janet Yamada, Marsha Campbell-Yeo, Sharyn Gibbins, Denise Harrison, Kimberley Dionne, Anna Taddio, Carol McNair, Andrew Willan, Marilyn Ballantyne and 7 more

3 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC pediatrics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 47 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
13.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02134873 nacompletednot on this map

Sucrose Practices for Pain in Neonates: A Program of Research: Part A (Trial 1 and 2): Determining the Minimally Effective Dose of Sucrose for Procedural Pain in Infants

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenRan2013 to 2015Enrolled291ConditionsPainArmssucrose
NCT04560374 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

The Effect of Using Crochet Octopus in Reducing The Pain Developed During The Process of Heel Lance İn Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorMarmara UniversityRan2020 to 2020Enrolled100ConditionsProcedural PainArmscrochet octopus
NCT07784322 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

A Randomized Trial Comparing 0.2 ml and 0.5 ml Oral 24% Sucrose Solution for Pain Relief During Heel Prick in Neonates With Historical Controls

TypeinterventionalSponsorKwong Wah HospitalRan2026 to 2026Enrolled150ConditionsPain Control in Heel Prick ProcedureArms24% oral sucrose
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 100 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Sucrose analgesia for venepuncture in neonates.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Sucrose analgesia for heel-lance procedures in neonates.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023
    Pooled it
  4. Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023
    Pooled it
  5. Effect of Non-Pharmacological Methods in the Reduction of Neonatal Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
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  10. Blinded randomized crossover trial: Skin-to-skin care vs. sucrose for preterm neonatal pain.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2020
    Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Article
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  14. Review
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  17. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 10 institutions in 1 country.

Bonnie StevensThe Hospital for Sick Children, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada. bonnie.stevens@sickkids.ca.
Janet YamadaDaphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada.
Marsha Campbell-YeoSchool of Nursing and Departments of Pediatrics, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, Forrest Building, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.
Sharyn GibbinsTrillium Health Partners, 100 Queensway West, Mississauga, Ontario, L5B 1B8, Canada.
Denise HarrisonFaculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Research Institute, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8M5, Canada.
Kimberley DionneThe Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Anna TaddioThe Hospital for Sick Children, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Carol McNairThe Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Andrew WillanThe Hospital for Sick Children, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Marilyn BallantyneHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, Ontario, M4G 1R8, Canada.
Kimberley WidgerThe Hospital for Sick Children, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 130, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1P8, Canada.
Souraya SidaniDaphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada.
Carole EstabrooksFaculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, 3-141 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1C9, Canada.
Anne SynnesDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, 2D19-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 4V4, Canada.
Janet SquiresFaculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8M5, Canada.
Charles VictorInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Veterans Hill Trail, 2075 Bayview Avenue G1 06, Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Shirine RiahiThe Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
University of Toronto · CAHospital for Sick Children · CAToronto Metropolitan University · CAInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences · CAIzaak Walton Killam Health Centre · CAOttawa Hospital Research InstituteTrillium Health Centre · CAUniversity of Alberta · CAUniversity of British Columbia · CAUniversity of Ottawa · CA

Funding

CIHR MOP-126167
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOrally administered sucrose is effective and safe in reducing pain intensity during single, tissue-damaging procedures in neonates, and is commonly recommended in neonatal pain guidelines. However, there is wide variability in sucrose doses examined in research, and more than a 20-fold variation across neonatal care settings. The aim of this study was to determine the minimally effective dose of 24% sucrose for reducing pain in hospitalized neonates undergoing a single skin-breaking heel lance procedure.

methodsA total of 245 neonates from 4 Canadian tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), born between 24 and 42 weeks gestational age (GA), were prospectively randomized to receive one of three doses of 24% sucrose, plus non-nutritive sucking/pacifier, 2 min before a routine heel lance: 0.1 ml (Group 1; n = 81), 0.5 ml (Group 2; n = 81), or 1.0 ml (Group 3; n = 83). The primary outcome was pain intensity measured at 30 and 60 s following the heel lance, using the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R). The secondary outcome was the incidence of adverse events. Analysis of covariance models, adjusting for GA and study site examined between group differences in pain intensity across intervention groups.

resultsThere was no difference in mean pain intensity PIPP-R scores between treatment groups at 30 s (P = .97) and 60 s (P = .93); however, pain was not fully eliminated during the heel lance procedure. There were 5 reported adverse events among 5/245 (2.0%) neonates, with no significant differences in the proportion of events by sucrose dose (P = .62). All events resolved spontaneously without medical intervention.

conclusionsThe minimally effective dose of 24% sucrose required to treat pain associated with a single heel lance in neonates was 0.1 ml. Further evaluation regarding the sustained effectiveness of this dose in reducing pain intensity in neonates for repeated painful procedures is warranted.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov : NCT02134873. Date: May 5, 2014 (retrospectively registered).

Indexed as

Administration, OralAnalgesicsDose-Response Relationship, DrugFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMalePain MeasurementProcedural PainProspective StudiesSingle-Blind MethodSucroseTreatment OutcomeAnalgesicsSucroseAdverse eventAnalgesiaHeel lanceNeonatesNICUPainPIPP-RPreterm infantsSucrose

Identifiers

PMID29475433
PMCPMC5824554
OpenAlexW2807468223

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.