Effects of combined use of non-nutritive sucking, oral sucrose, and facilitated tucking on infant behavioural states across heel-stick procedures: A prospective, randomised controlled trial

The four treatment combinations differentially reduced infants' high arousal across heel-stick procedures. The combined use of oral sucrose-tucking, sucking-oral sucrose, and sucking-oral sucrose-tucking more effectively reduced occurrences of infant fussing or crying than routine care. Treatment combinations of sucking-oral sucrose-tucking and sucking-oral sucrose also better facilitated infants' sleep than routine care. To preserve infants' sleep, clinicians should use combinations of non-nutritive sucking, oral sucrose, and facilitated tucking to reduce agitation during painful procedures.