Preterm Neonatal Feeding Protocol Comparing Feed Administration Time

Preterm Neonatal Feeding Protocol Comparing Feed Administration Time

Doctors have tried many different methods of feeding to try to decrease feeding intolerance in preterm babies so that they spend less time receiving liquid nutrition and have fewer problems with feeding intolerance.

The purpose of this study is to test two different methods of feeding preterm babies in the hopes of identifying a method that will decrease some of the feeding intolerance that can occur when feeding premature babies.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Any infant born at OHSU or transferred in from another facility whose birthweight is greater than 500 grams and less than 1500 grams, and whose gestational age is less than 32 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any infant who has major anomalies including but not limited to *gastroschisis

  • omphalocele
  • bowel obstruction or atresia
  • tracheo-esophageal fistula
  • Hirschsprung's Disease
  • congenital diaphragmatic hernia
  • congenital heart disease and other major syndromes
  • infants who have started enteral feeds prior to entering the study

• Any infant whose birth weight is greater than or equal to 1500 grams or less than 500 grams

• Any infant whose gestational age is greater than 32 weeks.