Although not routine, some hospitals and caregivers will look at interventions to lessen the pain felt by babies when having a heel prick for the newborn screening test. Methods tried have included:
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Giving the baby some sugar, honey or sucrose about 2 minutes before the test. Having a higher blood sugar level is one way to increase a person's pain threshold. |
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Using local anaesthetic creams such as 'EMLA'. |
The results of these interventions vary, and it is difficult to assess the 'level' of pain felt by a newborn baby. The attitude of many caregivers is that the test is 'quick' and the pain temporary, therefore no intervention for pain relief is required.
Giving your baby a cuddle and feed soon after the test can help to comfort them. As mentioned before, it is not a good idea to feed your baby while the actual heel prick is being performed. This can cause them to relate 'feeding' with being a painful experience. Occasionally a baby will refuse to feed for a while if they think it will 'hurt'.