Olfactory stimulation for promoting development and preventing morbidity in preterm infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Developmental pediatrics
• Sensory interventions

Background:

• Preterm infants often require gavage feeding due to immaturity.
• Interventions to hasten breastfeeding transition are beneficial.
• Olfactory stimulation may enhance appetite and oral feeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the benefits and harms of olfactory stimulation for hospitalized preterm infants.
• To assess its impact on morbidity and development.
• To determine effects on feeding outcomes and hospital stay.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs.
• Included preterm infants (born <37 weeks' gestation).
• Compared olfactory stimulation (maternal breast milk, food-associated, non-food-associated odors) with placebo, no intervention, or standard care.

Main Results:

• Maternal breast milk odor may slightly reduce time to full oral feeding (low-certainty evidence).
• Food-associated odors may slightly reduce apnea episodes (low-certainty evidence).
• Non-food-associated odors may slightly reduce hospital stay duration (low-certainty evidence).
• Evidence for most outcomes was very uncertain due to study limitations and imprecision.

Conclusions:

• Olfactory stimulation shows potential benefits, particularly maternal breast milk odor for feeding time.
• Evidence remains very uncertain for most outcomes across different odor types.
• Future research requires rigorous design, larger sample sizes, and standardized outcome reporting.