Effects of Infant-Driven Feeding on Feeding Outcomes and Growth in Preterm Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Objective: To investigate the effect of Infant-Driven Feeding (IDF) on feeding outcomes and growth among preterm infants with a gestational age of 32 to 37 weeks at birth in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: An interventional study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an IDF protocol compared to a standard feeding regimen. The control group (N = 88) received the standard feeding protocol, while the experimental group (N = 92) received the IDF protocol. Data were collected between January 1 and December 31, 2022. Results: The experimental group exhibited a higher average oral milk intake per minute than the control group ( t = −7.762, P < .001). Additionally, the experimental group achieved full oral feeding in a significantly shorter time ( t = 4.434, P < .001) compared to the control group. The experimental group also had a shorter nasogastric tube indwelling time ( t = 4.372, P < .001) and length of hospital stay (t = 3.682, P < .001) compared to the control group. During the first week of life, the experimental group showed no significant differences in length (t = −1.475, P = .142), head circumference (t = −0.410, P = .683); however, weight gain on the 7th day was greater in the experimental group (t = −2.260, P = .025) when compared to the control group. The experimental group had a significantly lower incidence of vomiting ( χ2 = 5.327, P = .021), oxygen desaturations ( χ2 = 5.715, P = .017), and milk choking ( χ2 = 6.105, P = .013) as compared to control group. There were no significant differences in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) between the 2 groups ( χ2 = −1.071, P = .284). Conclusion: The implementation of IDF protocol in preterm infants with a gestational age of 32 to 37 weeks at birth in the NICU improved feeding outcomes, expedited the feeding process, and reduced complications associated with poor feeding. Moreover, it did not adversely affect the growth and development of these infants and enhanced their feeding safety.