Cue-based feeding for preterm infants: a prospective trial

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatric nutrition
• Clinical research

Background:

• Traditional feeding regimens for premature infants often involve scheduled gavage and bottle feeding.
• Assessing alternative feeding strategies is crucial for improving infant outcomes and optimizing resource utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of cue-based oral feeding in premature infants (< 36 weeks post-conceptual age).
• To compare outcomes between cue-based feeding and traditional feeding regimens, including growth, length of stay, and adverse events.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving premature infants (< 36 weeks post-conceptual age).
• Two groups: a control group (traditional feeding) and an intervention group (cue-based oral feeding).
• Outcomes measured included weight gain, length of stay, post-conceptual age at discharge, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mean weight gain between the groups (12.5 gm/kg/day vs. 12.1 gm/kg/day).
• Significantly shorter length of stay in the intervention group (10.0 days) compared to the control group (14.5 days; P = 0.009).
• Significantly fewer adverse events in the intervention group (3.5 events) versus the control group (12.5 events; P = 0.007).

Conclusions:

• Cue-based oral feeding is a viable and effective method for premature infants.
• This feeding strategy leads to reduced hospitalization duration and fewer adverse events without compromising infant growth.
• Cue-based feeding does not increase nursing workload, offering a beneficial alternative to traditional feeding regimens.