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Feeding preterm infants. Schedule or demand?
R B Saunders1, C B Friedman, P R Stramoski
1University of North Carolina, School of Nursing, Greensboro 27412-5001.
Insights
Feeding preterm infants on demand is safe and comparable to scheduled feeding regarding weight gain and hospital stay. This approach may improve infant feeding behaviors and parent-infant interactions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Infant nutrition
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm infants often require specialized feeding protocols.
- Establishing effective feeding strategies is crucial for infant development and parental bonding.
- Current practices vary, with both scheduled and on-demand feeding methods employed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare weight gain, hospitalization duration, and feeding behaviors in preterm infants fed on demand versus on a schedule.
- To assess the safety and benefits of self-regulated feeding in physiologically stable preterm infants.
- To explore the impact of feeding methods on parent-infant interactions.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving two groups of preterm infants: on-demand feeding (n=15) and scheduled feeding (n=14).
- Monitoring of weight gain and length of hospitalization for both groups.
- Observation and analysis of infant feeding behaviors, including rest periods and hunger cue demonstration.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in weight gain or length of hospital stay between the on-demand and scheduled feeding groups.
- Self-regulated, on-demand feeding was determined to be safe for preterm infants who were physiologically stable.
- Infants fed on demand exhibited longer rest periods and greater opportunity to signal hunger cues.
Conclusions:
- On-demand feeding is a safe and viable alternative to scheduled feeding for stable preterm infants.
- Implementing on-demand feeding may positively influence infant feeding behaviors and parent-infant communication.
- Findings suggest that on-demand feeding can enhance the responsive interactions between parents and their preterm infants.
Abstract:
Weight gain, length of hospitalization, and feeding behaviors were compared for preterm infants who were fed on demand (n = 15) with preterm infants who were fed on a schedule (n = 14). Weight gain and hospital stays were similar for both groups, and self-regulated feeding was found to be safe for physiologically stable infants. Benefits related to feeding behaviors included longer rest periods between interventions and the opportunity for infants to demonstrate hunger cues. The study findings indicate that feeding on demand may enhance contingency interactions between parents and their preterm infants.