Effect of pre-feeding oral motor stimulation on preterm infants’ outcomes

Background: Feeding issues are mainly obvious among preterm infants; for these infants to discharge earlier from the hospital they must attain totally independent oral feeding. Aim of the study to determine the effect of oral motor stimulation on preterm infants' outcomes. A quasi-experimental research design was applied. Sample: A convenience sampling of 60 preterm infants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included. Setting: This study was implemented in four neonatal intensive care units at Assiut City, Egypt. Tools: Three tools were employed to gather the needed data: Preterm infant data, a premature oral feeding readiness assessment scale, and a feeding progression protocol. Method: To test the clarity and relevant of the sheet, a pilot study was implemented on 10% of preterm infants Results: Revealed that; (83.3%) of the studied preterm infants in oral motor stimulation group had feeding readiness at time of discharge while (23.3%) in the control group, also statistically significant differences were found between them regarding to transition time and length of hospital stay P=0.000*. Conclusion: Oral motor stimulation faster the transition time to total oral feeding and reducing hospitalization period. So the researcher Recommended that oral motor stimulation should become an essential component of standard nursing care for preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units.