Boyle 2006.

Methods	RCT Painful intervention: screening for ROP Study location: Neonatal Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK and Neonatal Unit, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK Study period: not stated
Participants	40 preterm infants < 32 weeks' PMA Sterile water group: mean PMA 27 weeks; mean PNA 45 days Sucrose group: mean PMA 29 weeks; mean PNA 43 days Water + pacifier group: mean PMA 30 weeks; mean PNA 41 days Sucrose + pacifier group: mean PMA 29 weeks; mean PNA 42 days
Interventions	2 min before start of eye examination: 1 mL sterile water (n = 10) 1 mL sucrose 33% (n = 10) 1 mL sterile water + pacifier (n = 9) 1 mL sucrose 33% + pacifier (n = 11) Water or sucrose was given by mouth using a syringe
Outcomes	PIPP during eye examination
Notes	Data were presented in graph form and reported as means and SDs Results of ANOVA and independent t‐tests reported as P values Adverse events were not evaluated
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Sequence generation not described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	High risk	Sealed opaque envelopes. Did not state if the envelopes were sealed and sequentially numbered
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Sucrose and water alone groups blinded; pacifier + water, and pacifier + sucrose groups were blinded
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Sucrose and water alone groups blinded; pacifier + water, and pacifier + sucrose groups were blinded
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Outcomes reported for all randomized infants
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	The study protocol was not available to us so we could not judge whether there were any deviations from it
Other bias	Low risk	Appears free of other bias