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Effect of body position on gastric emptying in the neonate
Insights
Body position significantly impacts gastric emptying in neonates. Prone or right lateral positions accelerate stomach emptying, unlike supine or left lateral positions, reducing feeding intolerance risks.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Physiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Gastric emptying is crucial for neonatal nutrition and development.
- Understanding factors influencing gastric emptying is vital for infant care.
- Respiratory distress syndrome can complicate gastric emptying in neonates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of different body positions on gastric emptying in neonates.
- To compare gastric emptying rates across various infant groups (term, preterm, small-for-dates, and those with respiratory distress syndrome).
Main Methods:
- Studied 48 neonates, assessing gastric emptying in different body positions.
- Compared emptying rates in healthy term, preterm, small-for-dates, and infants with respiratory distress syndrome.
- Evaluated feeding tolerance, abdominal distension, and gastric pooling.
Main Results:
- Gastric emptying rates were similar in healthy term, preterm, and small-for-dates infants.
- Infants with respiratory distress syndrome showed delayed gastric emptying in the supine position.
- Prone and right lateral positions demonstrated faster gastric emptying compared to supine and left lateral positions.
Conclusions:
- Prone and right lateral positions are recommended for nursing neonates to enhance gastric emptying.
- These positions may reduce feeding intolerance and gastric issues, particularly in vulnerable infants.
- Routine use of supine or left lateral positions is discouraged due to limited benefits for gastric emptying.
Abstract:
The effect of body position on gastric emptying was investigated in 48 neonates. The rate of gastric emptying is the same for healthy term, preterm, and small-for-dates infants. Infants with respiratory distress syndrome have delayed gastric emptying and a high incidence of abdominal distension and pooling of feeds in the stomach in the supine position. The stomach empties more rapidly in the prone and right lateral positions than in the supine and left lateral positions. These findings indicate that the prone or right lateral positions are to be preferred for nursing neonates, especially those in whom intolerance to the volume of feeds is likely to be a problem. Supine or left lateral positions have little merit in helping gastric emptying and should not be used routinely in hospital nurseries.