Premature babies are given sucrose for pain relief – but new research shows it doesn’t stop long-term impacts on development
- Written by Mia McLean, Senior lecturer, Auckland University of Technology

Infants born very preterm spend weeks or even months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) while their immature brains are still developing.
During this time, they receive up to 16 painful procedures every day. The most common is a routine heel prick used to collect a blood sample. Suctioning of the infant’s airways is also...