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Nasal versus oral route for placing feeding tubes in preterm or low birth weight infants

Julie Watson1, William McGuire

  • 1Maternal and Infant Health and Care, Yorkshire and the Humber Health Innovation and Education Cluster, Department of HealthSciences, University of York, York, UK. judy.hawes@sickkids.ca

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|March 2, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Limited data exist on nasal versus oral enteral feeding tubes for preterm infants. More research is needed to determine optimal tube placement for feeding tolerance and infant development.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric gastroenterology
  • Clinical trial methodology

Background:

  • Enteral feeding tubes are crucial for preterm and low birth weight infants.
  • Tube placement can be nasal or oral, each with potential complications.
  • Nasal tubes may affect respiration, while oral tubes risk displacement and vagal stimulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare nasal versus oral enteral feeding tube placement in preterm infants.
  • To evaluate effects on feed tolerance, growth, and development.
  • To assess the incidence of adverse events associated with tube placement.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs.
  • Searches included Cochrane Neonatal Group, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL.
  • Data extraction and quality assessment by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

  • Three studies (2 parallel RCTs, 1 cross-over RCT) met eligibility criteria.
  • Limited data available; one trial showed no significant effect on feeding establishment or weight regain.
  • Another trial found no significant difference in apnea, desaturation, or bradycardia.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient evidence exists to guide clinical practice regarding tube placement.
  • A large-scale RCT is necessary to determine the impact of naso- versus oro-enteric feeding tubes.
  • Further research is needed to optimize feeding, growth, and minimize adverse events in vulnerable infants.
Abstract

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