The Influence of Upright Feeding Position on Pulmonary and Ear Morbidity

The Influence of Upright Feeding Position on Pulmonary and Ear Morbidity

Does upright feeding position of 3 month old infants reduce respiratory and ear morbidity during the following year?

The investigators examined the influence of teaching mothers to feed infants with their head in an upright position and evaluated the infant ear and respiratory morbidity during a one-year follow-up. Mothers of 88 infants born during 2011 were instructed by trained nurses at Maternal-Child-Health clinics to feed their infants with their head in upright position (intervention group). The control group consisted of 75 mothers of infants of similar socioeconomic background who fed their infant regularly without any instructions and were followed at another Maternal-Child-Health clinic. Feeding position was evaluated at the beginning and the end of the study, and morbidity data of both groups were evaluated at every 3-month follow-up meeting. The study was part of the PhD thesis of Efrat Danino, Head Nurse of Pediatric Department at Hadassah Medical Organization.

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy 3 month old infants, bottle fed at least once a day, parent agreeing to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prematurity, need of supplemental oxygen, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis, familial dysautonomia, cleft lip or cleft palate, any ear-throat-lung or airway congenital anomaly, congenital heart disease, any other chronic disease of childhood or malignancy