Sugar Can Ease Babies’ Pain

Beautiful baby
Photo by LexiesMommyWhen my son was in the NICU, one of the nurses tried to give him sugar water before she stuck a needle in him. I quickly stopped her and was more than a little upset that she'd attempt to give my child sugar when I wasn't planning on letting him have any sugar until his first birthday.

Turns out, she wasn't just an overzealous Mary Poppins fan, but may have really known what she was doing.

A new study shows that if a child is given something sweet before he gets a shot, he'll experience less pain.

The international team of researchers studied more than 2,000 babies 1 year old and younger. They found sugar water lessened crying in 93 percent of children.

That's a lot less tears!

Researchers said that doctors should think about using sugar when performing painful procedures. I'm thinking my daughter is going to be thrilled when I pull a lollipop out of my purse before she gets her next round of shots.

Have you tried giving your child sugar before he or she gets a shot?