Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the mean pain score in preterm neonatal procedural pain treated with expressed breast milk versus dextrose solution.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Department of Pediatric Medicine Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

Duration: 6 months (28/03/2018 to 27/09/2018)

Material and Methods: This study enrolled 400 admitted neonates who were brought for venipuncture, fulfilling the inclusion criteria. These neonates were randomly categorized into two groups. Group-Aneonates were given 25% Dextrose solution while Group-B were given expressed breast milk. Outcome variable was neonatal procedural pain which was quantified by use of premature infant pain profile score and comparison was made between the 2 groups.

Results: The mean age of the neonates was 14.2±7.8 days while the mean weight was 2.9±0.49 Kg. There were 205 (51.3%) male and 195 (48.7%) female neonates. Mean premature infant pain profile score was markedly reduced in neonates receiving 25% dextrose as compared to expressed breast milk (3.68±1.74 vs. 5.89±2.52; p-value<0.001). Significant variation was observed across various subgroups of neonates based on age, gender and weight.

Conclusion: 25% dextrose was found superior to conventional practice of expressed breast milk in controlling preterm neonatal procedural pain which along with its simplicity, low cost and easy and wide spread availability advocates its preferred use in future practice.

Keywords: Preterm, Neonatal Pain, 25% Dextrose, Expressed Breast Milk