Oral Feeding Success: A Concept Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatric nutrition
• Clinical concept analysis

Background:

• Oral feeding success (OFS) is a key term in neonatal care, yet lacks a consistent definition.
• Inconsistent definitions of OFS hinder accurate evaluation, risk factor identification, and intervention development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of oral feeding success (OFS) in preterm infants.
• To establish a standardized framework for understanding OFS during initial hospitalization.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO.
• The Walker and Avant method for concept analysis was applied to identify OFS components.

Main Results:

• Sixteen articles were analyzed to determine OFS defining attributes, antecedents, and consequences.
• Key defining attributes include physiologic stability, full oral feeding, and specific criteria for feeding proficiency, efficiency, and intake quantity.

Conclusions:

• The identified attributes provide a consistent clinical evaluation tool for OFS in preterm infants.
• Antecedents and consequences offer a framework for assessing readiness, identifying risks, and planning interventions.
• Empirical referents for OFS can enhance research by providing clear operational definitions.