Effects of intra-oral sucrose on crying, mouthing and hand-mouth contact in newborn and six-week-old infants.
To determine whether a single intra-oral administration of sucrose would calm infants and elicit mouthing and hand-mouth contact, crying newborn and six-week-old infants were given sucrose solution before one feed and sterile water before another in a cross-over trial. Six-week-old infants were also given sucrose and water after feeding. For the newborn infants, the calming effect was rapid, substantial and lasted for at least four minutes. Mouthing and hand-mouth contact increased, but for shorter durations. For the six-week-old infants, sucrose calmed for one minute only before feeding, but had no effects on mouthing or hand-mouth contact. The results imply that intra-oral sucrose has acute age-related effects on crying and suckling-feeding behaviour mediated by a pre-absorptive mechanism. Sucrose may tap a functional system for reducing distress related to feeding and/or regulation of infant state.
Barr
R G
RG
Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Quek
V S
VS
Cousineau
D
D
Oberlander
T F
TF
Brian
J A
JA
Young
S N
SN
D000284:Administration, Oral; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003448:Crying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
D013395:Sucrose