Does Gabapentin Have A Role in the Improvement of Feeding Resistance in Infants?

Background: Eating disorders in some infants can be due to the inability to reach a level of relaxation necessary to start the feeding process. Gabapentin (GB) has been proposed as a stabilizer of nerve function in improving this disorder. This study aimed to investigate the effect of GB on improving feeding resistance in infants aged 3-6 months.

Materials and methods: This randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial was done on 64 infants aged 3-6 months with feeding resistance who were referred to the pediatric clinics and assigned to two groups of 32. The case group was given a dose of 5 mg/kg of GB in the first week, and if not too much sedation, it was increased to 10 mg/kg in the second week every 8 hours, whereas the control group received a placebo. The number of effective breastfeeding and the volume of formula in cc before and after 2 weeks of drug usage were recorded in both groups.

Results: The number of breastfeeding sessions significantly had a higher increase in the GB group compared with placebo (median [IQR]: 1 [0,1] vs. 0 [0,1], P = 0.005) as well as an increase in consumed formula volume (mean ± SD: 42.81 ± 24.49 vs. 18.67 ± 14.57, P = 0.003).

Conclusion: Considering the significant increase in formula consumption and the number of breastfeeding sessions in the GB group, it is possible to use this drug as a nerve-stabilizer and pain reducer to treat this disorder.