For mitigating painful procedures in newborns, breastfeeding and breast milk therapies are highly efficient nonpharmacological alternatives.

The analgesic effects of the smell of breast milk, expressed breast milk, and breastfeeding alone on newborns were summarized and analyzed in a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with the goal of presenting stronger evidence to inform clinical practice and future research.

Databases such as OVID, Eric, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and CINAHL were explored for relevant literature. Overall, 9 full texts that satisfied inclusion criteria were included, which comprised 33-130 newborns in their samples. There were 720 newborns in total. Analysis was also done on how these therapies affected heart rate, oxygen saturation, and pain scale ratings.

Large effect sizes were observed in the treatment of pain both during and after the operations when breastfeeding, breast milk smell or breast milk taste were used as interventions. In terms of heart rate during the intervention, these treatments had medium effect sizes, and after the procedures, they had large effect sizes. These interventions exhibited large effect sizes in oxygen saturation throughout the interventions and medium effect sizes afterwards.

Hence, the non-pharmacological alternatives for painful procedures, breastfeeding and breast milk interventions, are beneficial for pain management in newborns.