From Warm to Cold: Feeding Cold Milk to Preterm Infants with Uncoordinated Oral Feeding Patterns

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Gastroenterology

Background:

• Premature infants often struggle with feeding due to uncoordinated sucking, swallowing, and breathing.
• Cold liquids can improve swallowing in adults with dysphagia by stimulating sensory receptors.
• Previous studies showed short-duration cold liquid feeding benefits preterm infants, but whole feeding effects were unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety and impact of full cold milk feedings on preterm infants with uncoordinated feeding patterns.
• To evaluate feeding performance and physiological responses to cold milk feeds.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover study involving 26 preterm infants with feeding difficulties.
• Infants were fed milk at room temperature (RT) or cold temperature (CT).
• Measurements included body and gastric temperatures, mesenteric blood flow, and feeding performance metrics.

Main Results:

• Cold milk feeding (CT) did not significantly alter mesenteric blood flow or axillary body temperature.
• Gastric content temperature decreased post-CT feeding, but no signs of cold stress, apnea, bradycardia, or emesis were observed.
• While milk transfer rate and proficiency were similar, the Infant-Driven Feeding Scale (IDFS) quality score significantly improved with CT feeding.

Conclusions:

• Cold milk feeding appears to be a safe therapeutic option for preterm infants experiencing feeding challenges.
• This study supports further investigation into cold milk feeding as an effective strategy for managing infant feeding and swallowing difficulties.