Underdeveloped oral structures of preterm infants cause feeding problems. Therefore, the development of sucking reflexes of premature babies should be supported. This study aimed to investigate the effect of suck-swallow training on the transition to oral feeding in premature infants. The study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental trial in the NICU of a public hospital in Istanbul. The study sample consisted of 82 premature infants. Of these infants, 41 were assigned to the experimental group and 41 to the control group. Study data were collected using the investigator-developed Premature Infant Data Collection Form and Early Feeding Skills Assessment Tool. Throughout the study, preterm infants in the experimental group (n=41) were given suck-swallow exercises for 12 minutes once a day before feeding for 14 days. SPSS21 was used to analyze the data.
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The early feeding skills assessment tool (EFS)
Timeframe: December 2021 and June 2022