The response of crying newborns to sucrose: Is it a "sweetness" effect?

Intraoral sucrose (and other sweet carbohydrates) induce rapid and sustaine d calming in crying newborns and transiently increase mouthing and hand-mou th contact ("sucrose effects"). To investigate whether these effects are du e to the sweetness of sucrose, 60 crying newborns were randomized to receiv e 250 mu L of 24% sucrose solution, 0.12% of aspartame solution of equivale nt sweetness (to adults), or 24% polycose, a soluble carbohydrate that is o nly very slightly sweet (to adults), as well as water in a mixed parallel c rossover design. Relative to water, sucrose persistently reduced crying, an d transiently increased mouthing and hand-mouth contact, as previously demo nstrated. Aspartame also reduced crying, and transiently increased mouthing and hand-mouth contact, virtually mimicking the time course and the magnit ude of the effects obtained in response to sucrose. By contrast, polycose s olution had no specific effects on crying, mouthing, or hand-mouth contact. The results imply that the responses of crying newborns to intraoral sucro se are neither specific to sucrose nor to the general class of carbohydrate s, and that these effects are more appropriately understood as "sweetness" effects. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.