Many new parents wonder how to soothe a newborn during baby shots. Before their second birthday, babies may be poked with a needle up to 20 times during vaccinations. These shots protect children from dreaded diseases that used to be common, says Ken Haller, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Nonetheless, the vaccination pain can be upsetting for you and your child.
According to the Mayo Clinic, childhood vaccines protect children from a variety of serious or potentially fatal diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following immunizations until age 18 (subject to individual risk factors):
- Chickenpox
- COVID-19
- Diphtheria
- Haemophilius influenzae type b (Hib)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Measles
- Meningococcal
- Mumps
- Pneumococcal conjugate
- Polio
- Rotavirus
- Rubella
- Seasonal influenza (flu)
- Smallpox
- Tetanus
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping cough (pertussis)
These vaccines contain an inactivated (killed) agent or a weakened live organism and help babies to develop antibodies for protection against specific infections.
While babies get some disease protection from their mothers, this only lasts until they’re around 6 months old. Baby shots are given early because children are at high risk for serious diseases at a young age. Diseases like measles and chickenpox are life-threatening for infants and young children. This makes early vaccination — sometimes beginning shortly after birth — essential. If you postpone vaccines until a child is older, it might be too late to offer good protection.
Many parents worry about baby shots and fever after vaccines. Some believe there is a link between ingredients in vaccines and autism, but research has found no such link, according to the CDC. Ever since vaccinations were developed, there have been risks, including the risk of developing the disease or serious side effects. But most vaccine side effects are very mild and severe ones are rare. The use of childhood vaccinations has essentially ended a number of childhood diseases that otherwise resulted in hospitalization or death.
Failure to get babies vaccinated can result in new epidemics of diseases that can be harmful — even deadly. As an example, before the measles vaccine, 3 to 4 million people in the United States got measles each year, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 400 to 500 died annually. Diphtheria was one of the most common childhood causes of death in school age children. About 4 million people got chickenpox each year in the United States, over 10,500 of those people were hospitalized, and about 100 to 150 people died. And pertussis, or whooping cough, an illness that makes it difficult to breathe, killed 8,000 people annually before the vaccine was developed.
While baby shots are proven to protect children against diseases, there are also confirmed ways to soothe a newborn or baby and ease their pain after vaccinations. Here are some shot soothers that work best:
Hold Your Baby Close During Baby Shots
According to research, parents should stay nearby so you can distract and calm your baby during the injection. An ideal option is to hold your baby. Be sure to hold her so her upper arm or thigh is exposed and the provider can give the injection. Children who are a little older can sit on your lap facing you. Keep the baby as clothed as possible so you can leave quickly afterward, Dr. Haller suggests.
Feed Your Baby to Relieve Vaccination Pain
Feeding your baby may help relieve vaccination pain. One study found that babies who were breast-fed during the vaccination cried less. “Younger kids and babies are much better at living in the present moment,” Haller says, and as a result, their minds can switch quickly from “hurt, hurt, hurt” to “food, food, food.” Still, he recommends that parents feed their children after the vaccination, since infants may be more likely to throw up during the injection if they’ve just eaten.
A Little Sugar Water May Help Shots Under 6 Months
One study review found that sugar doesn’t just help the medicine go down, but can take the sting out of vaccination pain for your baby, too. A taste of sugar is particularly helpful in babies under 6 months. Try giving your baby a little sugar water before the vaccination, or dip a pacifier into the sweet liquid and let him suck on it during the injection.
Distract Your Baby to Reduce Baby Shots Pain
Distracting your baby is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce vaccination pain, according to the CDC. Bring along an item that you know will hold her attention — bubbles, a favorite (or brand-new) toy, a noisemaker, or a favorite movie on a tablet.
Numbing Medicine May Soothe a Newborn
Rub-on agents that numb the skin, such as EMLA (eutectic mixture of local anesthetics) cream, can help dampen your baby’s vaccination pain. But EMLA can take about an hour to start working. Sprays that numb the skin by cooling it may also be helpful — and work in a few seconds — but these haven’t been shown to work as well. If you’re concerned about Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine pain, ask your doctor if numbing cream is available.
Rub Your Baby’s Skin After the Vaccination
After the vaccination, gently rub your baby’s skin near the injection site. The distracting stimulation from the light massage may keep your baby from feeling the pain of the shots so intensely. The study review mentioned above found that those who rubbed the area after an injection for just 10 seconds had less pain and that applying pressure on the skin beforehand may also reduce the pain.
Try Tylenol to Prevent Fever After Vaccines
Giving your child acetaminophen (Tylenol) shortly before the injection may help lessen vaccination pain afterward. It can also help reduce fever after vaccines, Haller says. In addition, you’re likely to feel a lot of distress when the shots are given, and knowing that you’ve done something to help may make you feel better. If unsure, talk to your doctor about preventing fever after vaccines.
Ask About Alternatives to Needles With Baby Shots
In some situations, doctors can reduce vaccination pain by using a needle-free device, such as those that use compressed air to put the medication into the skin. One study found they’re equally effective and cause less pain than needles. You can ask if this is an option for your baby, but in general these are used when many patients are being vaccinated at one time, Haller says. If it’s any consolation, researchers are working hard to find alternatives to needles, including oral and nasal options, according to the CDC.
Inquire About Combination Vaccine Plans
Vaccinations for several diseases can be combined in a single shot to reduce the number of injections your baby requires, which reduces vaccination pain. These include the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Dtap) vaccine, which is available in combination with the polio and hepatitis B vaccines, or the polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines, Haller says. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that combination vaccines be used for your baby whenever possible.
Stay Calm During Baby Vaccinations
Wonder how to soothe a newborn during the series of baby shots? One study found that parent behavior accounts significantly affects the the distress that the baby feels during a vaccination. New parents are often anxious about their baby’s vaccination pain, Haller says. Take comfort in knowing that the vaccination pain your baby feels will only last a moment, but the protection from disease will last for years.
- Childhood Vaccines: Tough Questions, Straight Answers. Mayo Clinic. March 28, 2023.
- Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 27, 2023.
- Autism and Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 1, 2021.
- Yin HC, Cheng SW, Yang CY, et al. Comparative Survey of Holding Positions for Reducing Vaccination Pain in Young Infants. Pain Research and Management. 2017.
- Karimi Z, Kazemi Karani N, Momeni E, Afrasiabifar A. The Effect of Breastfeeding Versus Sensorial Saturation on Infants’ Behavioral Responses of Pain Following Pentavalent Vaccination on 4 and 6 Month Old Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Study. International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery. April 2022.
- Taddio A, Appleton M, Bortolussi R, et al. Reducing the Pain of Childhood Vaccination: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. CMAJ. December 14, 2010.
- Make Shots Less Stressful. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 20, 2020.
- Yu C, Walter M. Needleless Injectors for the Administration of Vaccines: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness. Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. July 17, 2020.
- Vaccine Administration. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 20, 2023.
- Multiple Vaccinations at One Time. American Academy of Pediatrics. March 25, 2022.
- Schechter NL, Zempsky WT, Cohen LL, et al. Pain Reduction During Pediatric Immunizations: Evidence-Based Review and Recommendations. Pediatrics. May 2007.
Justin Laube, MD
Medical Reviewer
Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, and trauma healing.
He graduated with a bachelor's in biology from the University of Wisconsin and a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. During medical school, he completed a graduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practices through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. He completed his three-year residency training in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles on the primary care track and a two-year fellowship in integrative East-West primary care at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine.
He is currently taking a multiyear personal and professional sabbatical to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, disease, and the processes of healing. He is developing a clinical practice for patients with complex trauma, as well as for others going through significant life transitions. He is working on a book distilling the insights from his sabbatical, teaching, and leading retreats on trauma, integrative health, mindfulness, and well-being for health professionals, students, and the community.
Previously, Dr. Laube was an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he provided primary care and integrative East-West medical consultations. As part of the faculty, he completed a medical education fellowship and received a certificate in innovation in curriculum design and evaluation. He was the fellowship director at the Center for East-West Medicine and led courses for physician fellows, residents, and medical students.
Eric Metcalf, MPH
Author
Eric Metcalf, MPH, is an Indianapolis-based medical writer, editor, and health educator. He is passionate about helping a national audience make healthier choices in their lives.
Metcalf has written and contributed to dozens of books on health and fitness, including Almost Addicted (with Harvard psychiatrist J. Wesley Boyd), Almost Anxious (with Harvard psychologist Luana Marques), and The New Prescription (with Cynthia Haines, MD). He has written for leading magazines and websites, as well as custom publications and public radio (Sound Medicine). He also developed a series of worksite wellness publications.
Metcalf has a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master's degree in public health. You can find him performing improv comedy in his spare time.