Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
11:50

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published on: January 7, 2020

27.8K

Multicentre prospective observational study of feeding practices in 30-33 weeks preterm infants

T C Kwok1, Jon Dorling1, Shalini Ojha2

  • 1Academic Division of Child Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

BMJ Paediatrics Open
|April 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Starting total enteral feeding from birth is feasible in preterm infants (30-33 weeks gestation). Early feeding within 24 hours led to quicker full feeds and shorter hospital stays, suggesting current practices may be conservative.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Nutrition
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Perinatal Medicine

Background:

  • Progressive feeding is standard for preterm infants.
  • Recent evidence suggests early total enteral feeding may reduce necrotising enterocolitis risk in infants born at 30-33 weeks gestation.
  • The feasibility of initiating total enteral feeding from birth in this population requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore current feeding practices in preterm infants born between 30 and 33 weeks gestation.
  • To assess the feasibility and outcomes of early enteral feeding initiation in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, multicentre, observational study design.
  • Inclusion of 10 consecutive preterm infants (30-33 weeks gestation) from eight UK hospitals.
  • Data collection on feeding initiation, achievement of total enteral and full feeds, and associated outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Eighty infants received their first enteral feed at a median of 24 hours.
  • Median time to achieve total enteral feeding (without IV nutrition) was 5 days, and full feeds (≥150 ml/kg/day) was 8 days.
  • Infants achieving total enteral feeding within 24 hours reached full feeds earlier (p=0.02) and had shorter hospital stays (p=0.009), though they were of slightly older gestation (p=0.004).

Conclusions:

  • Current feeding practices for 30-33 weeks gestation preterm infants appear conservative.
  • Initiating total enteral feeding from birth is achievable in this population.
  • Further research is warranted to optimize early feeding protocols for improved outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
infant feedingneonatologynutrition

More Related Videos

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates06:27

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Published on: December 31, 2015

8.6K
Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

665

Related Concept Videos

Observational Studies01:11

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
11.1K
Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
17.5K
Observational Learning01:12

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning...
1.0K
Actor-Observer Effect01:23

Actor-Observer Effect

The actor-observer effect, a cognitive bias closely linked to the fundamental attribution error, refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their behavior to external, situational factors while explaining others’ behavior in terms of internal, dispositional traits. This asymmetry in attribution significantly influences social perception and judgment.Cognitive Mechanisms Behind the EffectTwo primary psychological mechanisms contribute to the actor-observer effect: differences in...
409
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
324
Characteristics of Practical Op Amps01:16

Characteristics of Practical Op Amps

A difference amplifier, a crucial component in numerous electronic devices, ideally amplifies only the difference-mode signal, which is the difference between two input signals. However, in practical circuits, the output voltage depends on both the differential gain and the common-mode gain.
The ratio of differential gain to the common-mode gain is defined as the common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR). This ratio quantifies the ability of operational amplifiers (op-amps) to reject common-mode...
872