The repeated painful experiences in newborns may have short- and long-time effects, especially in premature infants. The use of sweetened solutions during painful procedures has been recommended as a measure of pain relief. This study aims to evaluate the evidence of the effect of oral sucrose or glucose for acute pain relief in premature infants. An integrative review was conducted in the MEDLINE and LILACS databases. Eight articles were selected from 2005 to 2010. The analyzis of these articles revealed the analgesic effect of glucose and sucrose in acute procedures. No significant side effects were found in infants who received glucose/sucrose. We emphasize the importance of the use of the pain assessment scale most closely related to the predominant population in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a scale easy to be used and handled by health professionals.
Pain; Infant, newborn; Infant, premature; Glucose; Sucrose; Analgesia
