Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #66659
Title: CLINICAL INDICATORS TO ASSESS PRETERM INFANTS' ORAL FEEDING SUCCESS

Author
item SHEENA, HELENE - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item SCHANLER, RICHARD - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item LAU, CHANTAL - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE

Submitted to: Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The guidelines for advancement of oral feedings in preterm infants are ill-defined. To identify clinical indicators that may be used as markers for oral feeding success, monitored assessments of oral feedings were conducted weekly in 23 infants born between 26 and 33 wk and in 6 fullterm infants. All oral feedings between the assessments were evaluated for success or failure as determined by completion of the total volume of milk offered. A subsequent success marker was calculated as the number of completed feedings taken/total feedings offered. Monitored assessments evaluated proficiency (%milk transferred during the first five minutes/total milk ordered for a feeding), efficiency (ml/min), overall transfer (OT, %milk transferred during a feeding/total volume offered during a feeding), gestational age, body weight, and volume offered (ml/kg). At any monitored assessment, 100% OT correlated significantly with hsubsequent feeding success (p=0.015). At least 80% OT was predicted by a proficiency greater than 35% and/or an efficiency greater than 1.7 ml/min (positive predictive value = 95 +/- 2%). Feeding success was independent of gestational age, volume offered, and weight. Subsequent feeding success can be predicted using the measurements of efficiency (greater than 1.7 ml/min) and proficiency (greater than 35%), both simple calculations that do not need any special equipment. These parameters may offer guidance to feeding success once oral feedings are initiated.