Friedrichsdorf reported that, after some initial concerns about new procedures taking up too much time, Children’s Minnesota’s neonatal units were among the early adopters of pain-reducing procedures.

Breastfeed infants or provide sugar waterĪllowing babies to breastfeed during a needle poke, or giving them a few drops of sugar water prior to injection, has a hugely calming effect. If you’ve come to the doctor’s office for a well-child check-up that includes shots, ask for numbing cream at the start of the visit to allow the lidocaine time to work. This cream is widely available over-the-counter for a cost of about $7 to $15, and the cost is covered by insurance in the state of Minnesota if a doctor prescribes it. Numb the skinĪpply 4 percent lidocaine cream to the skin 30 minutes before the shot.

They use five research-based practices that take away needle pain - five simple steps anyone can do. Friedrichsdorf said that goal required department-by-department culture change. Stefan Friedrichsdorf, medical director of the Department of Pain Medicine, Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.Ĭhildren's Minnesota launched its Comfort Promise initiative in 2013, vowing to do everything possible to prevent and treat pain - including pain from vaccinations or other shots. The research on effective ways of alleviating needle pain has been available for 25 years, said Dr.

Numbing cream for injections