Journal of Pediatric Perspectives

Journal of Pediatric Perspectives

Topical Sheep Oil and Pain Intensity and Crying Duration Following Pentavalent Vaccination in Two-Month-Old Infants: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Articles in Press

Document Type : original article

Authors
Zahra AmirPour Said 1
Fatemeh Hosseini 2
Ali Akbari 3
Seyed Hamid Seyed Bagheri 4
Parvin Khalili 5
1 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
2 Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
3 Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
4 Department of Pediatric Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery School, Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
5 Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
10.22038/jpp.2026.97261.5705
Abstract
Background: Vaccination is essential for preventing infectious diseases, but injection-related pain is a common painful experience in infancy. This study evaluated the association of topical sheep oil with pain intensity and crying duration during pentavalent vaccination in two-month-old infants.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 72 healthy two-month-old infants were recruited via convenience sampling and nonrandomly assigned to intervention (n = 36) and control (n = 36) groups. Purified sheep oil (2.5 mL) was applied over the vastus lateralis muscle 60 minutes before vaccination. Pain was assessed using the Modified Behavioral Pain Scale before, during, and after vaccination, and crying duration was measured using a digital stopwatch.
Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups (all P > 0.05). Pain scores were lower in the sheep oil group during vaccination (P = 0.024) and 15 seconds after vaccination (P < 0.001), with a significant time × group interaction (P < 0.001). Crying duration was 15 (13–17) seconds in the intervention group versus 18.5 (15–20) seconds in the control group (P = 0.050).
Conclusion: Topical sheep oil was associated with lower pain intensity and shorter crying duration after pentavalent vaccination. Given the non-randomized design, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Keywords
Complementary medicine
Infant
Pentavalent vaccine
Procedural pain
Sheep oil
Vaccine Methods
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Journal of Pediatric Perspectives

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 September 2026