Taking babies to have their jabs is a horrid experience. I had the misfortune of going with my daughter for Alfie’s eight-week jabs a couple of years ago.

Well, let’s just say I haven’t been back since.

Other Kiddicare bloggers have raised this issue in the past, so I know I’m not alone here. My daughter struggles too – one of the main issues being that it’s very difficult to comfort a small infant when they’re having their jabs.

There are also a fair few that need to happen too, as most mums and dads will be aware. In fact, before age four, children can expect to have had no less than 14 separate injections under the UK healthcare system.

There’s been a fair bit of research into how to soothe babies during their routine jabs, with some experts recommending that the early ones are done while or soon after baby is breastfeeding so that they have some immediate comfort.

However, the latest study to have emerged about reducing infant pain suggests keeping baby warm could be the answer.

This trial, carried out by researchers from a University of Chicago hospital on 47 babies, found that infants showed fewer signs of pain when they were kept warm during vaccinations.

The comparison was made with babies who were given sugar pills or dummies prior to the event – a technique common in America by the sounds of things, but not something I’m familiar with over here.

In fact, this technique appeared to work very well on one in four of the babies, who didn’t even cry.

As with all of these kinds of things, I’m sure the trauma and pain experienced by particular infants will vary hugely. This is probably as much to do with their mood and the way the injection is administered as anything else.

That said, I reckon any parent will embrace new ways to calm their baby during vaccinations which, as far as I’m concerned at least, are pretty traumatic for adults present, let alone the infants themselves.