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Postdischarge feeding patterns in early- and late-preterm infants

Sara B DeMauro1, Preeti R Patel, Barbara Medoff-Cooper

  • 1The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. demauro@email.chop.edu

Clinical Pediatrics
|August 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Early preterm infants experience more feeding dysfunction than late preterm infants, though both groups improve over time. Hospital visits for feeding issues were similar between groups, highlighting the need for universal screening.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm birth is associated with various developmental challenges.
  • Feeding dysfunction is a common complication in preterm infants.
  • Differentiating feeding issues between early and late preterm infants is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the incidence of postdischarge feeding dysfunction.
  • To evaluate hospital/subspecialty visits for feeding problems in the first year of life.
  • To compare outcomes between early-preterm (25-33 6/7 weeks) and late-preterm (34-36 6/7 weeks) infants.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving questionnaires for parents of early (n=319) and late (n=571) preterm infants.
  • Data collected at 3, 6, and 12 months corrected age.
  • Assessed infant feeding skills, comfort, and healthcare utilization using χ(2) tests and Spearman's correlations.

Main Results:

  • Early preterms showed higher rates of oromotor dysfunction at 3 and 12 months (29% vs 17% and 7% vs 4%, respectively).
  • Early preterms also exhibited more avoidant feeding behavior at 3 months (33% vs 29%).
  • Both groups demonstrated improvement in oromotor dysfunction and feeding behaviors over time; hospitalization rates were similar.

Conclusions:

  • Feeding dysfunction, particularly oromotor issues, is more prevalent in early preterm infants.
  • While feeding problems improve, continued monitoring is warranted.
  • Pediatricians should implement universal screening for feeding dysfunction in all preterm infants during their first year.
Abstract

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