Feeding Therapy and its Relationship to Timing of Independent Oral Feeding for Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Abstract

Aim: To examine the relationship between feeding therapy and the timing of independent oral feeding (IOF) in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Study design: A retrospective analysis of 536 preterm infants (<37 wk gestation) admitted to a level IV NICU between January 2017 and December 2019 was conducted. Clinical and therapy data were extracted from the electronic health record to examine associations between feeding therapy utilization and feeding outcomes.

Results: Medically complex infants were more likely to receive a feeding therapy referral (p = .001), and infants who received feeding therapy achieved IOF an average of 1.5 wk later than those who did not (p < .001). Among infants receiving therapy, earlier initiation was beneficial as each additional week of delay in therapy initiation corresponded to a 0.02-week delay in achieving IOF after adjusting for medical factors (p = .023). No association was found between feeding therapy frequency and postmenstrual age at IOF.

Conclusion: Early initiation of feeding therapy may help expedite IOF. Timely referrals can support oral motor development and improve feeding outcomes in preterm infants. The lack of association with frequency may reflect staffing limitations that impacted consistent therapy delivery rather than a true absence of benefit.