Planning ahead
Discuss your plan for pain reduction with your health-care team so they can support you.
Before the needle poke
Numbing cream
You can help reduce the pain of needle pokes by applying a topical anaesthetic (numbing cream or gel) to the area where the needle will be inserted. In Canada, numbing creams are available over the counter.
- Discuss this option with your infant’s healthcare team in advance.
- Make sure your infant is not allergic to any ingredients in the numbing cream or gel.
- Apply the numbing cream or gel 30 to 60 minutes before the needle poke. Once it is applied, the cream lasts up to three hours.
Distracting your infant
Use items such as toys, pacifiers or bubbles to help
distract your infant during needle pokes. You can also sing, talk or direct your infant’s attention to other things in the room so they are not focused on the procedure and pain.
Your healthcare team can also offer you items from a
comfort kit to help distract your child. Ask your healthcare provider about the kit before your appointment.
Sucrose
A small amount of
sucrose solution (sugar water) one to two minutes before a needle poke has been shown to reduce pain in infants.
- To make your own sucrose solution, mix one packet of sugar with two teaspoons of water.
- Ask your healthcare provider to give the sucrose. If the healthcare provider asks you to give it, use a syringe or dropper to place it one drop at a time onto the front of your baby's tongue. You can also dip your infant's pacifier into the sucrose.
- Only use sucrose to relieve the pain of needle pokes. It is not safe to use it simply to calm infants.
