Effects of oral stimulation on feeding readiness of preterm infants: A randomized controlled study

Background: Feeding readiness is an indicator to assess whether preterm infants can tolerate oral feeding. The Preterm Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI) may improve infant oral motor function and feeding skills. Methods: To determine the PIOMI effect on feeding readiness, 46 preterm infants were randomly assigned to either the oral stimulation or standard care group. The Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale (POFRAS) was used to repeatedly assess participants’ feeding readiness on Day 1 (baseline), Day 3, and Day 7. Findings: The two groups had similar demographic characteristics. While the baseline POFRAS scores showed non-significant differences between the two groups, the oral stimulation group performed better on Days 3 and 7. Discussion: The group-by-time interaction assessment indicated a marginally significant difference in the time trend of the POFRAS scores between the two groups. Application to practice: These results can be helpful for achieving full oral feeding in the NICU.