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March 05, 2008
vaccination pain overload
A new study released in Pediatrics compared a sucrose solution to water placebo as anesthesia two minutes prior to the routine 2 and 4 month immunizations. Responses were measured on a pain scale at 2, 5, 7, and 9 minutes. There was a 78% (relative) reduction in mean pain score for the sugar group. (The absolute reduction was approaching 3 points on their pain scale.)
I am not sure of the pain scale used, or how accurate it is. But this seems to be a clear case of data overload. Besides the confusion of using the term "anesthesia" for this response to sugar, there is the issue of whether water is an adequate placebo. What baby wouldn't cry if given water instead of sugar?
But knowing this much information about the (presumed) pain response of infants after immunizations (and they received DTaP, IPV, Hep B and Hib over the several minutes) assumes that the vaccines are worth it, an assumption that has been significantly challenged, both on these pages and elsewhere. But even assuming they are worth it, does it really help us to have this much information about the relatively minor pain of what the advocates consider to be worth any risk or cost? Couldn't any grandmother have told us that an infant is happier with a sugar tit? Is this not yet another attempt to shepherd the wind?
Posted by Robert Maddox at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)