Orally mediated sources of calming in 1- to 3-day-old human infants.

In this study, the calming effects of sucrose in 1–3-day-olds was evaluated. Sucrose (0.5 ml, 14% weight/volume) reduced crying relative to water. Infants who received 0.2, 0.6, or 1.0 ml of sucrose cried much less than infants who sucked a pacifier for 2.6, 10, or 14 min. Sucrose infused through a pacifier reduced crying more effectively than did water through a pacifier. These differences support the idea of two separate functional calming systems in human newborns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)