RATIONALE: Sucrose is, in general, safe and effective for analgesia during venepuncture in hospitalised neonates. However, there is a lack of evidence on its analgesic effects.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of orally administered sucrose for pain relief from venepuncture in preterm and term neonates compared to no intervention, standard care, and other types of analgesic interventions.
SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and trial registries in July 2025, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals, and Wanfang Data in August 2024. We checked reference lists of included studies and topic-related systematic reviews.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including cross-over and cluster-RCTs, that evaluated the effects of sucrose analgesia in neonates (including term and preterm infants) up to 44 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing venepuncture. We excluded quasi-RCTs and studies reported only as conference abstracts. We included studies administering sucrose with or without non-nutritive sucking (NNS) before, at the time of, or after venepuncture. Sucrose could be of any concentration, volume, or dose. Sucrose was compared to: no intervention, water, or standard care; skin-to-skin care; breastfeeding; feeding; NNS alone (e.g. pacifier); glucose; positioning; or topical anaesthetics.
OUTCOMES: Outcomes of interest were pain intensity score, as measured by validated pain assessment scales, and adverse events.
RISK OF BIAS: We used the Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB 1).
SYNTHESIS METHODS: We synthesised results for each outcome using meta-analysis where possible. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous data (presence or absence of pain). We calculated the standardised mean difference (SMD) or mean difference (MD) for pain intensity scores (continuous outcome), each with its 95% CI. We used a fixed-effect model to combine data and quantified the impact of heterogeneity using the I² statistic. Where these methods were not feasible due to the nature of the data, we synthesised the results narratively. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of evidence for each outcome.
INCLUDED STUDIES: We included a total of 29 studies, accounting for 2764 term and preterm neonates. There was a large variation in sucrose dose and concentration (from 0.1 mL/kg to 0.5 mL/kg or a set volume from 0.1 mL to 2 mL) as well as mode of administration (e.g. oral syringe, pacifier, dropper, in combination with a pacifier). Most of the studies compared sucrose to no intervention, water, or standard care (n = 17). Other comparisons include non-nutritive sucking, skin-to-skin care, breastfeeding, expressed breast milk, and other sweet solutions.
SYNTHESIS OF RESULTS: Adverse events (e.g. gagging, apnoea) were not reported for any comparison. Sucrose (with or without NNS) versus no intervention, water, or standard care Sucrose with or without NNS probably reduces pain intensity scores during and 30 seconds after venepuncture compared to no intervention (SMD -0.82, 95% CI -1.02 to -0.63; 7 studies, 477 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Sucrose with NNS reduces pain intensity scores one minute after venepuncture compared to no intervention (MD -9.15, 95% CI -9.91 to -8.39; 1 study, 100 participants; high-certainty evidence). The evidence is uncertain about the effect of sucrose without NNS on pain intensity scores two minutes after venepuncture compared to no intervention (SMD -0.99, 95% CI -1.31 to -0.68; 3 studies, 186 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Sucrose (with or without NNS) versus skin-to-skin care Sucrose without NNS may make little to no difference to pain scores during venepuncture when compared to skin-to-skin care (MD 1.49, 95% CI 0.86 to 2.12; 2 studies, 208 participants; low-certainty evidence). Pain scores after 30 seconds, one minute, and two minutes were not reported. Sucrose (with or without NNS) versus breastfeeding Sucrose probably reduces pain during venepuncture compared to breastfeeding, as measured with the Neonatal Facial Coding System (where 0 = no pain, > 0 = pain) (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.88; 1 study, 103 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Sucrose may result in little to no difference in pain compared to breastfeeding two minutes after venepuncture (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.19; 1 study, 104 participants; low-certainty evidence). Pain scores after 30 seconds and one minute were not reported. Sucrose (with or without NNS) versus NNS Sucrose with NNS likely reduces pain during venepuncture compared to NNS (SMD -1.52, 95% CI -1.92 to -1.12; 2 studies, 136 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Sucrose without NNS may not reduce pain intensity scores during venepuncture compared to NNS (MD 1.37, 95% CI 0.57 to 2.17; 2 studies, 133 participants; low-certainty evidence). Sucrose with NNS may reduce pain intensity scores one minute after venepuncture compared to NNS (MD -5.81, 95% CI -6.30 to -5.32; 2 studies, 200 participants; low-certainty evidence). Sucrose with NNS probably reduces pain intensity two minutes after venepuncture compared to NNS alone (SMD -1.30, 95% CI -1.71 to -0.89; 2 studies, 136 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Sucrose without NNS probably results in little to no difference in pain intensity scores two minutes after venepuncture compared to NNS (MD 0.47, 95% CI -0.14 to 1.08; 1 study, 56 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). We downgraded the certainty of the evidence in several comparisons, mostly due to unclear or high risk of selection, performance, detection, and reporting bias. High heterogeneity was also detected.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests sucrose probably reduces pain scores during and shortly after venepuncture compared to no intervention, water, or standard care. The evidence is very uncertain regarding the effects of sucrose compared to skin-to-skin care for analgesia during venepuncture. Compared to breastfeeding, sucrose probably results in a reduction of pain scores during venepuncture, but may result in little difference in pain scores two minutes after venepuncture. The evidence suggests sucrose with NNS probably reduces pain scores during and following venepuncture compared to NNS alone. Sucrose alone probably results in little to no difference in pain intensity scores two minutes after venepuncture compared to NNS.
FUNDING: This review had no dedicated funding.
REGISTRATION: Protocol available via doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015221.
