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Oral feeding practices and discharge timing for moderately preterm infants
Jane E Brumbaugh1, Tarah T Colaizy2, Shampa Saha3
1Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Background:
Oral feeding skills of moderately preterm infants are not mature at birth.
Aims:
To establish the relationship between postmenstrual age at introduction of first oral feeding and attainment of full oral feeding and hospital discharge for moderately preterm infants.
Study Design:
Multicenter retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of moderately preterm infants admitted to a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network hospital.
Subjects:
6146 infants born at 29-33 weeks' gestation from January 2012 to November 2013.
Outcome Measures:
Postmenstrual age at full oral feeding and at hospital discharge.
Results:
The median postmenstrual age at first oral feeding was 33.9 weeks (interquartile range 33.1-34.3). For each week earlier at first oral feeding, full oral feeding occurred 4.5 days earlier (p < 0.0001) and hospital stay was shortened by 3.4 days (p < 0.0001). Higher birth weight (p < 0.0001) and black maternal race (p = 0.0001) were associated with younger postmenstrual age at full oral feeding and at discharge.
Conclusion:
Moderately preterm infants with earlier introduction of oral feeding achieved earlier full oral feeding and hospital discharge.
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