Article

Sucrose attenuates a negative electroencephalographic response to an aversive stimulus for newborns.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (impact factor: 2.13). 09/2003; 24(4):261-6. pp.261-6
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Reports that sweet taste calms crying in newborns and is analgesic against the pain caused by a heel lance served as the basis for this study. Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, heart rate activity, and infants' facial behaviors were recorded before and after a noninvasive, but noxious, heelstroke (procedure from the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale). In a randomized and controlled trial, 34 newborns were administered 2 mL of water or sucrose solution before the heelstroke. Frontal EEG asymmetry scores were computed, and power in the 3 to 6 Hz frequency band was analyzed. Infants who received water showed increased relative right frontal EEG activation from baseline to the post-heelstroke phase, a pattern that typifies negative affect. The EEG of infants in the sucrose group did not change. Heart rate increased rapidly in both groups during the heelstroke phase. However, after the heelstroke, the heart rate of infants who received sucrose returned to baseline, whereas the heart rate of infants who tasted water remained elevated. During the heelstroke, the infants in the water group cried and grimaced twice as long as the infants in the sucrose group. These findings add to the growing literature showing that sucrose attenuates newborns' negative response to aversive or noxious stimuli.

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Keywords

34 newborns
 
6 Hz frequency band
 
analgesic
 
Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale
 
EEG
 
Frontal EEG asymmetry scores
 
Heart rate
 
heart rate activity
 
heel lance
 
heelstroke
 
heelstroke phase
 
infants' facial behaviors
 
newborns
 
noxious
 
noxious stimuli
 
post-heelstroke phase
 
sucrose attenuates newborns' negative response
 
sucrose solution
 
sweet taste calms
 
water group