Comparison of breast milk and sucrose in neonatal pain relief and coping with stress of ROP examination using ALPS-Neo

Background: Examination for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the procedures that can be stressful for neonates admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. This study compared breast milk and sucrose in pain relief and coping with the stress of ROP examination using the Astrid Lindgren and Lund Children�s Hospital Pain and Stress Assessment Scale for Preterm and Sick Newborn Infants (ALPS-Neo). Methods: The present study was carried out on a total of 63 preterm infants (including breast milk group n=21, sucrose group n=21, and distilled water group n=21). The neonates were given 0.5 ml/kg of breast milk, sucrose, or distilled water 2 min before the examination. The ROP eye examinations were video recorded from 5 min before to 15 min after the examination, and infants� pain and stress levels were assessed using the ALPS-Neo by two blinded evaluators 5 min before, during, and 5, 10, and 15 min after the examination. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed during the examinations in the mean scores of the ALPS-Neo among the three groups (P>0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences among the three groups after the examinations (P<0.05) and in the mean duration of stress adaptation (P