Effectiveness of the Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention on Feeding Performance, Duration of Hospital Stay, and Weight of Preterm Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND: Most preterm neonates are unable to achieve independent oral feeding and are fed using tubes. Premature infant oral motor intervention (PIOMI) is effective in initiating early oral feeding and reducing hospital stays. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PIOMI on feeding performance, duration of hospital stay, and weight of preterm neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: This was a parallel randomized controlled trial conducted in Egypt. Sixty preterm neonates born between 30 and 34 weeks of gestation were randomly selected (30 in the study group and 30 in the control group). The study was conducted at the NICU in Sohag, Egypt, over 3 months from October to December 2019. Two tools were used: demographic data of preterm neonates according to gestational age, sex, weight, and diagnosis, and PIOMI. RESULTS: Among the preterm neonates in the study group, full oral feeding was achieved significantly earlier (P = .03), milk leakage decreased significantly (P = .001), weight was significantly higher (P = .018), and the duration of hospital stay was significantly lower (P = .014) than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: Premature infant oral motor intervention was effective in improving preterm neonates' feeding performance, reducing the duration of hospital stay, and increasing their weight. This study recommended that a training program for nurses in the NICU about PIOMI for preterm neonates be conducted, along with training of the parents to use PIOMI and the implementation of policies in the NICU to conduct PIOMI as a part of daily routine preterm neonatal care.