Venipuncture is more effective and less painful than heel lancing for blood tests in neonates.
Background Blood is often needed from neonates in intensive care units and from full-term healthy infants for screening tests of inborn errors of metabolism. Samples can be obtained either through venipuncture or heel lancing. While the latter technique is more common, it is uncertain which method is more efficient and less painful. Population studied Healthy, full-term infants on a maternity ward in Sweden were studied. In a fourth non-randomized group of 11 infants, 'sham' heel lancing was performed using the blunt end of a lancet.