The Effect of Oropharyngeal Colostrum Administration on Early Feeding Skills and Transition to Oral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Background: Failure to meet cue-based feeding and delay in developing oral feeding skills may cause long-term problems for premature infants.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of oropharyngeal colostrum administration to premature infants on readiness for oral feeding and the transition time to full oral feeding.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial comprised 60 premature neonates, aged 26 0 to 33 6/7 weeks of gestation, divided into oral colostrum (OC) n =30 and control groups (n = 30). The OC group received 0.2 mL of maternal colostrum while the control group did not. Both groups received routine care. The infants' feeding skills measured by the Early Feeding Skills Assessment Tool (EFS-Turkish) and the transition time to oral feeding were evaluated for 7 days.

Results: The groups were similar in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. While there was no significant difference between the groups in the mean EFS-Turkish scores before the intervention, the mean scores of the OC group after the intervention were found to be significantly higher than those of the control group ( P < .001). OC administration, in addition to time (90.2%), explained 20% of the variation between the mean EFS-Turkish score measurements. When the difference between the total weight gains of the groups before the intervention and on the seventh day was compared, the OC group gained significantly more weight than the control group ( P = .022).

Implications for practice and research: OC administration may be an effective non-pharmacological method that can positively contribute to the development of early feeding skills of premature infants.