A new study review says that few drops of sugar solution before immunization can comfort child while he or she is getting an injection.

Parents use all kinds of methods to keep the baby distracted while getting injected. Some physicians even use creams and lotions to ease the pain. However, researchers from Jordan say that a few drops of sugar solution may comfort a baby.

The sugar in the solution may help relieve pain by either activating the certain pain-relieving chemicals in the brain or stimulating taste receptors that enhance the feeling of comfort, according to a news release.

The research review included data from 14 studies involving a total of 1,551 infants aged between one month and a year. Most of the studies had compared the effect of sugar water given minutes before the injection and the amount of time the baby cried post-immunization. Researchers found that babies given sucrose plus water cried for shorter duration than babies who weren't given any sugar solution.

"Giving babies something sweet to taste before injections may stop them from crying for as long. Although we can't confidently say that sugary solutions reduce needle pain, these results do look promising," said lead researcher Manal Kassab of the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan.

The studies had used varying concentrations of sugar solution. Researchers say that more studies are required to find out the optimum concentration of sugar solution.

"We need to see more data from well-conducted trials in children under one year, especially in relation to optimal concentration, volume and method of administration of sugar solutions," said Kassab.