A randomized clinical trial of 640 healthy full-term newborns in Brazil studied what method reduced the pain of an intramuscular vaccine injection the most. A validated facial pain expression score was determined at the time of injection. Skin-to-skin contact with the mother plus 25% oral dextrose was found to control the pain most effectively. Several reader comments suggested the investigators should have included skin-to-skin contact with breast feeding instead of the oral dextrose.
PositiveTip: Most mother's have intuitively known that skin-to-skin contact and breast feeding makes an infant's life better–but it is good to see science confirm it!