I know most of us have heard that a "spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" - well let me tell you that it works! When my baby girl was born the hospital gave us a syrupy solution to help ease her pain during blood draws and I was suprised to learn it was just plain old sucrose. Since then I have used my own homemade solution of 1tsp of sugar and 3tsps of water. I dip her pacifier in it about 15min before the procedure then again immediately before. Let me tell you the difference is amazing! The one time I forgot the solution my baby screamed immediately upon being pricked and then for about 15 minutes afterward. This last time I was prepared and she was all "sugared up" and barely let out a peep during the procedure. Hooray! The use of sucrose to alleviate infant pain is well documented (See article) - I just wish more doctors and hospitals would inform us parents about its uses! I am not sure about how useful the sucrose is for older children - but it works wonders for infants!