A nurse is preparing to administer immunizations to a 3-month-old infant. Which of the following is an appropriate action for the nurse to take to deliver atraumatic care?

Atraumatic care during infant immunization focuses on minimizing physical pain and psychological distress while ensuring safe vaccine administration. Infants at 3 months of age experience procedural pain intensely, so nurses use evidence-based comfort measures alongside proper injection technique. Non-pharmacological interventions such as oral sucrose, breastfeeding, and pacifiers are effective in reducing pain perception during short procedures like immunizations. The goal is to promote comfort, reduce stress responses, and support positive healthcare experiences. Rationale: A. Using a 20-gauge needle is inappropriate because it is too large for infant intramuscular injections and would increase tissue trauma and pain. Infants typically require smaller gauge needles (e.g., 22–25 gauge) to ensure proper delivery of vaccines with minimal discomfort and tissue injury. B. Applying eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) immediately before injections is ineffective because EMLA requires time (about 30–60 minutes) to achieve adequate dermal anesthesia. Immediate application does not provide pain relief during the procedure, making it unsuitable for short-notice immunization appointments. C. Injecting immunizations into the deltoid muscle is incorrect for a 3-month-old infant because the deltoid is not sufficiently developed at this age. The recommended site for infants is the vastus lateralis muscle in the anterolateral thigh, which provides a larger, safer muscle mass for intramuscular injections. D. Providing a pacifier coated with oral sucrose solution is appropriate because sucrose activates endogenous opioid pathways, reducing pain perception in infants during minor procedures. Combined with non-nutritive sucking, it provides effective, quick-acting analgesia and supports atraumatic care during immunization administration.