How to Optimize Enteral Feeding of the Full Enteral Feeding Preterm Infant: Evaluation of Different Gastric Tube Management Practices
How to Optimize Enteral Feeding of the Full Enteral Feeding Preterm Infant: Evaluation of Different Gastric Tube Management Practices
Very low-birth-weight premature infants (VLBWs) are fed via nasal or oro-gastric tube for a long time because of the physiological inability to coordinate swallowing, sucking, and breathing until at least 34 weeks of gestational age.
Both bolus and continuous feeding modes are widely described in the literature; both modes have specific risks and benefits, and there is no evidence in the literature as to which mode is best in terms of tolerance and adverse effects.
To date, the characteristics of enteral feeding that are associated with better feeding tolerance and fewer adverse effects have not been uniquely documented.
There are currently no data in the literature directly comparing different modes of enteral feeding tube management in the preterm VLBW infant. Therefore, our study aims to evaluate different modes of enteral feeding tube management (extemporaneous vs. permanent introduction/removal and oral vs. nasal introduction route) in order to optimize enteral feeding management of the VLBW infant.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the tolerance of intermittent gastric tube placement versus permanent gastric tube maintenance in preterm VLBW infants who have achieved full enteral feeding, and to record the incidence of adverse effects associated with the different modes of gastric tube management.
Specifically, during bolus feeding, the following parameters will be evaluated in association with the two different management modes:
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
arianna.aceti2@unibo.it0512143779