Randomised crossover trial showed that using breast milk or sucrose provided the same analgesic effect in preterm infants of at least 28 weeks.

Aim: Repeated, ongoing exposure to pain influences the growth, cognitive and motor functions, behaviour, personality and neurodevelopment of preterm infants. We compared the analgesic effects of expressed breast milk (EBM) and 24% oral sucrose on preterm neonates during venipuncture.

Methods: This multicentre randomised, noninferiority, crossover trial focused on five neonatal university units in Madrid, Spain, from October 2013 to October 2014.