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Clinical validation of the Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale

Cristina Ide Fujinaga1, Suzana Alves de Moraes, Nelma Ellen Zamberlan-Amorim

  • 1Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste do Paraná, Brazil. cifujinaga@gmail.com

Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem
|March 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

A new scale helps determine when preterm infants are ready for oral feeding and breastfeeding. The Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale, with a cut-off score of 30, is validated for safe initiation of breastfeeding in neonatal units.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric nutrition
  • Clinical assessment tools

Background:

  • Establishing safe and timely breastfeeding for preterm infants presents challenges for healthcare professionals.
  • A standardized tool is needed to assess preterm infant readiness for transitioning from gastric to oral feeding and to promote breastfeeding in neonatal settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clinically validate the accuracy of the Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale.
  • To evaluate the scale's effectiveness in assessing readiness for oral feeding in 60 clinically stable preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • The study utilized Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves to estimate the global accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale.
  • The scale's cut-offs were compared against milk intake through translactation.

Main Results:

  • The Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale demonstrated a global accuracy of 74.38%.
  • Optimal sensitivity and specificity were observed at cut-off scores of 28, 29, and 30.
  • A cut-off score of 30 yielded the highest specificity (75.68%), indicating its suitability for identifying oral feeding readiness.

Conclusions:

  • The Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale is a valid tool for healthcare professionals.
  • The scale supports the safe and objective initiation of breastfeeding in preterm infants.
  • Utilizing a cut-off score of 30 is recommended for assessing readiness to initiate oral feeding.
Abstract

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