Randomised oral stimulation and exclusive breastfeeding duration in healthy premature infants.

Randomised oral stimulation and exclusive breastfeeding duration in healthy premature infants.:

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Randomised oral stimulation and exclusive breastfeeding duration in healthy premature infants.

Acta Paediatr. 2020 Jan 18;:

Authors: Skaaning D, Carlsen E, Brødsgaard A, Kyhnaeb A, Pedersen M, Ravn S, Pryds O, Kronborg H

Abstract

AIM: Although exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for all newborn in the first six months of life, only 13% of Danish premature infants complies with this. This trial aimed to examine if oral stimulation prolonged exclusive breastfeeding in premature infants.

METHOD: A randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark between 2016 and 2018. Systematic oral stimulation was performed by the parents after training by occupational therapists. Primary outcome was exclusive breastfeeding duration with six months´ follow up, analysed by intention-to-treat.

RESULTS: Included were 211 infants (53% boys) with a mean gestational age of 231 days, allocated in ratio 1:1 to oral stimulation or standard care. There was no difference in exclusive breastfeeding duration between infants orally stimulated and control infants. Thus, for orally stimulated infants, median duration was 122 days (interquartile range 40-183) in contrast to 154 days (interquartile range 61-183) for the controls, p value 0.16. At six months of age 27% of orally stimulated infants were exclusively breastfeed compared with 25% of controls.

CONCLUSION: In healthy premature infants, oral stimulation performed by parents has no long-lasting effect on breastfeeding duration. Attention should be directed to parental education and involvement.

PMID: 31954063 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]