Effects of Sucrose and Kangaroo Care on Pain Alleviation Among Preterm Neonates Undergoing Invasive Procedures
Background: Persistent neonatal pain due to numerous painful procedures can result in serious consequences of the newborn. Effective pain management is required to promote physiologic stability and positive developmental outcomes in preterm infants. Aims of this study were to examine the effect of sucrose and kangaroo care on pain alleviation among preterm neonates undergoing invasive procedures and compare between sucrose versus kangaroo care on pain alleviation among preterm neonates undergoing invasive procedures. It hypothesized that sucrose and kangaroo care would be effective measures to alleviate procedural pain. The Design of this study was quasi experimental research design. A sample of 60 neonates was selected to carry out this study then they were randomized to receive (a) sucrose (n =20) (b) kangaroo care (n =20) or (c) routine care (n =20) Setting of this study was health care center for neonates. Tool of this study was Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) (Stevens et al. 1996) Results showed that there was significant difference in PIPP score among preterm neonates within the three groups at 30 seconds and 1 minute (P 0.001* Mean PIPP scores for sucrose, kangaroo care and routine care were 8.1 3.22, 9.76 3.04 and 10.15 2.64 respectively. Conclusion: sucrose is the most effective intervention for alleviation of procedural pain in neonates. Therefore, sucrose is a recommended analgesic for premature neonates.