Breastfeeding Versus Dextrose As Analgesic In Newborns: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Abstract Aim: To assess the level of pain in infants in the control group and the experimental group before and after routine procedure. Secondly, to determine the effect of peroral dextrose solution and breast feeding on procedural pain in infants in the experimental group. Materials and Methods: This index study was conducted in 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 breast-feeding and were assigned heel prick procedure. Newborns were randomized into 2 groups for analgesia, i.e. breast-feeding and 25% peroral dextrose solution. The independent variables were peroral 25% dextrose solution and breast feeding. The dependant variable were procedural pain (heel prick) in the study groups. Primary outcome variable were 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). Greater the PIPP score, higher the pain perception. PIPP score were assigned prior to stimulus and post 30 sec after the stimulus. Results: The mean pain score of 9.7 and 4.7 in dextrose and breast feeding groups respectively proves significant difference(p-value 0.000) were found in them. Lesser mean score in breast feeding group signifies the importance of breast feeding during painful procedures as compared to dextrose. The mean pain scores of both groups showed that pain were more prevalent in dextrose group than breast feeding group. Hence it is clear that the effect of breast feeding reduced the pain among newborns in comparison to dextrose. Conclusion: Breast feeding and 25% peroral dextrose solution have analgesic effect during procedural pain. Breast feeding has significantly superior analgesic effect during procedural pain among newborns as compared to dextrose. Breast feeding should preferably being chosen as non pharmacological intervention during infliction of procedural pain in newborns.