Effect of Feeding Positions of Preterm Infants on Some Physiological Characteristics

Comparing the Effect of Feeding Preterm Infants in Two Different Positions on Some Physiological Characteristics: A Randomized-Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Semielevated Side-Lying (ESL) and Semielevated Supine Position (ESU) positions used in bottle-feeding of very preterm infants upon their physiological characteristics and feeding performances.

Semielevated supine position (ESU) is a position frequently used in neonatal intensive care units. In this position, infant is laid and fed on its back and the head is elevated to an angle of 45-60° in order to reduce the respiratory load of lungs. The ESL position, head of the infant is elevated to an angle of 45-60° and the infant is fed in the side-lying position. Since this position mimics the breast-feeding position, very preterm infants are supported to utilize the advantages of breast-feeding. A randomization was provided in the sample group consisting of totally 80 infants and while 38 infants were included in the ESL (experimental) group, 42 infants were included in the ESU (control) group.In the power analysis repeated at the end of the study, the power of the study was determined as 87% at a reliability of 95%.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be born between 26-31+6 gestational weeks according to mother's last menstruation date,
• To be between 32-39+6 postmenstrual weeks during the study,
• Have a body weight above 1500 g,
• Have a full enteral feeding,
• To be in a transition from orogastric catheter feeding to oral feeding for less than 24 hours,
• Have an oral feeding in this process for at least once,
• Tolerate at least 80% of amount of food given lastly during oral feeding,
• Voluntarily signing of the written informed consent form by parents

Exclusion Criteria:

• Infants suffering from craniofacial abnormalities like cleft palate,
• cleft lip and facial muscle paralysis; gastrointestinal, neurological and genetic disorders (necrotising enterocolitis, intracranial haemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, hydrocephalia, down syndrome, omphalocele, gastroschisis, short bowel syndrome etc.)
• moderate and severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (Jobe & Bancalari, 2001)
• patent ductus arteriosus requiring surgical therapy were excluded from the study