Feeding Protocols to Improve the Transition From Gavage Feeding to Oral Feeding in Healthy Premature Infants: A Systematic Review
Evidence in Health Care Reports
Medhurst, A. (2005).
Evidence in Health Care Reports, 3(1), 1-25.
This systematic review compares the effect of feeding protocols to traditional feeding methods on transition time from gavage to oral feeding, rate of growth, and the length of hospitalization in healthy premature infants (i.e., born less than 37 weeks gestation).
"The results of this review suggest feeding protocols may improve the transition from gavage feeding to oral feeding in the healthy premature infant when compared to traditional feeding methods. When utilising feeding protocols the number of days to transit from gavage feeding to oral feeding may be reduced, growth may be maintained and the length of hospitalisation may be reduced. These results must be interpreted with caution due to the possibility of systematic errors in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of the two [randomized controlled trials] included in the review" (p. 11).
