Comfort Method Soothes Sting of Shots

A combination of simple comfort methods can help to ease the pain of vaccinations for babies, a new study finds. The research weighed the effect of a method called the 5 S’s. This stands for swaddling (in a blanket), side or stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking (on a pacifier). The study included 230 babies who were at the doctor for their 2-month or 4-month checkups. They were due to receive vaccines. Babies were randomly divided into 4 groups. Before the shots, 2 groups were given a small amount of sugar water. The other 2 received plain water. After the shots, 2 groups received the 5 S’s to comfort them. This was done by research staff. The other groups received normal comforting by their parents. Babies who received the 5 S’s (with or without sugar water) showed the least discomfort using a standard pain scale.