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Objective: To evaluate the effect of an oral stimulation program in
preterm on the performance in the first oral feeding, oral feeding skills
and transition time from tube to total oral intake. Study
Designer: Double-blind randomized clinical trial including very preterm
newborns. Congenital malformations, intracranial hemorrhage grade III or
IV, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis were
excluded. Intervention group (GI) received an oral stimulation program of
tactile extra-, peri-, and intraoral tactile manipulation once a day for
15 minutes, during a 10-day period. Control group (GII) received sham
procedure with same duration of time. Feeding ability was assessed by a
speech-language pathologist blinded to group assignment. The
classification of infants’ oral performance was determined by Oral Feeding
Skills (OFS). Neonates were monitored until hospital discharge.
Results: Seventy-four (37 in each group) were randomized. Mean gestational
ages and birth weights were 30±1.4 and 30±1.5 weeks, and 1,452±330g and
1,457±353g for intervention and control groups, respectively. Mean
proficiency (PRO), transfer rate (RT), and overall transfer (OT) were
41.5%±18.3 and 19.9%±11.6 (p<0.001), 2.3 mL/min and 1.1 mL/min
(p<0.001), 57.2%±19.7 and 35.0%±15.7 (p<0.001) in
intervention and control groups, respectively. Median transition time from
tube to oral feeding was 4 (3-11) and 8 days in intervention and control
groups, respectively (p=0.003). Intake of breast milk was found to reduce
transition time from tube feeds to exclusive oral feeding (p<0.001,
HR 1.01, 95%CI 1.005-1.019), but the impact of the study intervention
remained significant (p=0.007, HR 1.97, 95%CI 1.2-3.2).
Conclusion: Infants who were breast-fed and an oral stimulation program
proved beneficial in reducing transition time from tube feeding to oral
feeding. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03025815
231 views reported since publication in 2019.