About the Study | How Does This Affect You? The newborn
screening is a blood test done to help identify certain health
issues that would not otherwise be seen as early in newborns.
Unfortunately, this screening requires that blood be drawn. A
heelstick was the common method to withdraw blood, but
venipuncture (from the back of the hand) has become a more
common approach because it is associated with less discomfort
for the newborn. However, venipuncture still causes some
unhappiness. Making a newborn cry is bad enough but early
negative experiences can also lead to higher anxiety and pain
with future medical tests. Oral sucrose, a sugar solution, has
been found to have a pain-relieving and calming effect with
infants receiving vaccinations. Researchers from Canada examined
steps to reduce discomfort for infants including a topical
medication lidocaine, a sucrose solution, or sucrose plus
lidocaine. The study, published in Pediatrics, found that oral
sucrose was effective at reducing pain in infants during ven