Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Experimental Viral Infection in Adult Mosquitoes by Oral Feeding and Microinjection
08:02

Experimental Viral Infection in Adult Mosquitoes by Oral Feeding and Microinjection

Published on: July 28, 2022

3.0K

Randomized trial of earlier versus later oral feeding in very premature infants

Ann Gerges1,2, Polina Gelfer3,4, Kathleen Kennedy3,4

  • 1Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA. gerges@bcm.edu.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|February 18, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Starting oral feeding earlier in very premature infants at 30 weeks

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatrics
  • Clinical Nutrition

Background:

  • Very premature infants (<29 weeks' gestation) often face challenges with oral feeding.
  • Timely initiation of oral feeding is crucial for infant development and hospital discharge.
  • Current feeding protocols for extremely preterm infants require evaluation for optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if initiating oral feeding earlier in very premature infants leads to earlier achievement of full oral feeds.
  • To assess if earlier oral feeding initiation impacts the timing of hospital discharge in this population.
  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of early oral feeding protocols in very premature infants.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial was conducted with very premature infants (<29 weeks' gestation).
  • Infants were randomized at 30 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) to either an earlier (30 weeks' PMA) or later (33 weeks' PMA) oral feeding initiation group.
  • Primary outcomes included PMA at full oral feedings and PMA at hospital discharge.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference was observed in the PMA at full oral feedings between the earlier and later feeding groups (mean difference -0.5 weeks).
  • Similarly, no significant difference was found in the PMA at hospital discharge between the two groups (mean difference -0.2 weeks).
  • Initiating oral feeding at 30 weeks' PMA was found to be safe for infants not experiencing severe tachypnea or requiring positive pressure ventilation.

Conclusions:

  • Early oral feeding initiation at 30 weeks' PMA does not accelerate the achievement of full oral feedings or hospital discharge in very premature infants.
  • The practice is safe for select very premature infants who are hemodynamically stable and not experiencing significant respiratory distress.
  • These findings suggest that current feeding guidelines may not need adjustment based solely on earlier initiation of oral feeding attempts.
Abstract

More Related Videos

A Bacterial Oral Feeding Assay with Antibiotic-Treated Mosquitoes09:59

A Bacterial Oral Feeding Assay with Antibiotic-Treated Mosquitoes

Published on: September 12, 2020

7.2K
Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling07:11

Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling

Published on: February 5, 2019

9.7K

Related Concept Videos

Trial and Error and Algorithm01:12

Trial and Error and Algorithm

A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have distinct action plans. Trial and error involves trying different solutions until one works. For instance, to fix a broken printer, you might check ink levels, ensure the paper tray isn't jammed, and verify the printer's connection to your laptop. This method can be time-consuming but is commonly used. Thomas Edison, for example, used trial and error to find a suitable filament for the light...
435
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
5.1K
Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.9K
Random Error01:04

Random Error

Random or indeterminate errors originate from various uncontrollable variables, such as variations in environmental conditions, instrument imperfections, or the inherent variability of the phenomena being measured. Usually, these errors cannot be predicted, estimated, or characterized because their direction and magnitude often vary in magnitude and direction even during consecutive measurements. As a result, they are difficult to eliminate. However, the aggregate effect of these errors can be...
9.9K
Random Variables01:09

Random Variables

A random variable is a single numerical value that indicates the outcome of a procedure. The concept of random variables is fundamental to the probability theory and was introduced by a Russian mathematician, Pafnuty Chebyshev, in the mid-nineteenth century.
Uppercase letters such as X or Y denote a random variable. Lowercase letters like x or y denote the value of a random variable. If X is a random variable, then X is written in words, and x is given as a number.
For example, let X = the...
17.9K
Randomized Experiments01:13

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
9.1K