Comparison of the effect of two methods of sucking on pacifier and mother's finger on oral feeding behavior in preterm infants: a randomized clinical trial

Effects of implementing non-nutritive sucking on oral feeding progression and outcomes in preterm infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Preterm infants have imperfect neurological development, uncoordinated sucking-swallowing-breathing, which makes it difficult to realize effective oral feeding after birth. How to help preterm infants achieve complete oral feeding as soon as possible has become an important issue in the management of preterm infants. Non-nutritive sucking (NNS), as a useful oral stimulation, can improve the effect of oral feeding in preterm infants. This review aimed to explore the effect of NNS on oral feeding progression through a meta-analysis.

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, CINHAL, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane databases, China's National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang and VIP database from inception to January 20, 2024. Search terms included 'non-nutritive sucking' 'oral feeding' and 'premature.' Eligibility criteria involved randomized controlled studies in English or Chinese. Studies were excluded if they were reviews, case reports, or observational studies from which valid data could not be extracted or outcome indicators were poorly defined. The meta-analysis will utilize Review Manager 5.3 software, employing either random-effects or fixed-effects models based on observed heterogeneity. We calculated the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous data, and estimated pooled odds ratios (ORs) for dichotomous data. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses were conducted to ensure robust and reliable findings. We evaluated the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) utilizing the assessment tool provided by the Cochrane Collaboration.

RESULTS

A total of 23 randomized controlled trials with 1461 preterm infants were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that NNS significantly shortened time taken to achieve exclusive oral feeding (MD = -5.37,95%CI = -7.48 to-3.26, p<0.001), length of hospital stay(MD = -4.92, 95% CI = -6.76 to -3.09, p<0.001), time to start oral feeding(MD = -1.41, 95% CI = -2.36 to -0.45, p = 0.004), time to return to birth weight(MD = -1.72, 95% CI = -2.54 to -0.91, p<0.001). Compared to the NNS group, the control group had significant weight gain in preterm infants, including weight of discharge (MD = -61.10, 95% CI = -94.97 to -27.23, p = 0.0004), weight at full oral feeding (MD = -86.21, 95% CI = -134.37 to -38.05, p = 0.0005). In addition, NNS reduced the incidence of feeding intolerance (OR = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.14 to 0.35, p<0.001) in preterm infants.

CONCLUSION

NNS improves oral feeding outcomes in preterm infants and reduces the time to reach full oral feeding and hospitalization length. However, this study was limited by the relatively small sample size of included studies and did not account for potential confounding factors. There was some heterogeneity and bias between studies. More studies are needed in the future to validate the effects on weight gain and growth in preterm infants. Nevertheless, our meta-analysis provides valuable insights, updating existing evidence on NNS for improving oral feeding in preterm infants and promoting evidence-based feeding practices in this population.

Promoting Survival and Primitive Reflexes to Prevent Brain Imbalance in Premature Infants: A Scoping Review of New Insights by Physiotherapists on Developmental Disorders

Survival reflexes, originating from the brainstem, are involuntary motor responses that are present at birth and facilitate the survival of the neonate. The age of the baby is critical enough to give information about the maturation of these reflexes. In the case of preterm babies, the delayed maturity of these reflexes may pose a threat to the life of the newborn. One can perceive what the baby can feel, taste, smell, see, and hear through reflex maturation. The objective was to identify and understand the role of survival reflexes and primitive reflexes and their importance in premature children. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), ProQuest, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science were the electronic databases used from January 2017 until November 2022. We included the original articles, reviews, and randomized clinical trials that focused on the importance of survival reflexes. Later on, all the articles were systematically arranged as per the information they provided, and 101 titles were selected, of which 32 met the inclusion criteria. Various articles were written regarding the present literature about primitive reflexes, but none promoted them in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This review is regarding the use of survival reflexes to improve the outcomes of neonates, specifically in the NICU. Simple interactions with the environment are made possible by primitive reflexes, which also serve as the foundation for early movement. This review presents a better understanding of the maturation of survival reflexes and primitive reflexes and provides further insight into how a physiotherapist can concentrate on the early identification and development of these reflexes to prevent further complications. Assessing the primitive reflex in the NICU will help in the early identification of developmental delay and further help us predict reflex maturation. Promoting them will provide positive outcomes in terms of neonatal development. A physiotherapist can play a vital role starting from the NICU to get the baby into an environment similar to the mother's womb and therapy to get the early maturation of the reflex.

Correlation between Pacifier Use in Preterm Neonates and Breastfeeding in Infancy: A Systematic Review

Background: Breastfeeding is very important for the proper nutrition and growth of the child, as well as, the health of the mother. To start breastfeeding, the neonate must have extensive oral capacities for sucking functions but, premature neonates may not have the muscle strength needed to suck successfully. However, the non-nutritive sucking achieved by using a pacifier, has been identified by previous research as a factor associated with shorter duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding. This study aims to perform a systematic review to investigate the relationship between pacifier use in preterm neonates and breastfeeding in infancy. Methods: We included prospective studies, as well as randomized controlled studies that evaluated the association between pacifier use by preterm neonates and of breastfeeding in infancy. Ten research articles from PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar and Crossref were included in the review from a total of 1455 articles. The results differ depending on the type of study.Most prospective studies have shown a negative correlation between pacifier use and breastfeeding, while the randomized controlled studies found a positive correlation. Conclusions: Pacifier use in preterm infants helps transition from tube to oral feeding, breastfeeding, faster weight gain and earlier discharge from the NICU. However, the relationship between pacifiers and breastfeeding is more complicated, as it appears to be influenced by additional risk factors.