The Efficacy of Developmentally Sensitive Interventions and Sucrose for Relieving Procedural Pain in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates

Abstract

The most efficacious interventions for reducing pain from single painful events were the pacifier with sucrose and the pacifier with sterile water. Research on the efficacy and safety of implementing these interventions, alone and in combination, for repeated painful procedures is needed. In addition, research is needed on the influence of implementing these interventions on pain response and clinical outcomes (e.g., health status and neurodevelopmental status) in VLBW neonates in the NICU.