@article {102563,
	title = {Effect of Prefeeding Oral Stimulation Program on Preterm Infants{\textquoteright} Feeding Performance},
	journal = {Biology Agricultural and ahealthcare},
	volume = {4},
	year = {2014},
	pages = {39-46},
	abstract = {<p>One of the most common feeding problems of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is difficulty reaching full oral feeding. The use of an individualized, evidence-based approach is strongly recommended to assist preterm infants in transitioning from gavage to full oral feeding. Hence, this study evaluates the effect of a 5-min. prefeeding oral stimulation program on oral feeding duration, total oral intake rate and net- leakage of preterm infants who were defined as inefficient feeders. A quasi- experimental design was used on a purposive sample composed of fifty five preterm infants selected from two NICUs of Cairo University Hospitals. Twenty eight as a control group who were left to hospital routine care, and twenty seven as intervention group. Three minutes of manual perioral and intraoral stimulation followed by two minutes of sucking on a pacifier was applied to the intervention group for two consecutive days twice per day. Results revealed that the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in total oral intake rate, less net leakage and shorter oral feeding duration than the control group. In conclusion, prefeeding oral stimulation program improved the preterm infants{\textquoteright} feeding performance. Such an intervention should be implemented for inefficient preterm infants in the NICUs because it is safe, simple and inexpensive.</p>
<p>Key words: Prefeeding oral stimulation program - Feeding performance -Preterm infants.</p>
},
	author = {Hanan Mohamed Rashad and Soheir Abd Elhamid Dabash and Zahraa Mohamed Ezz El Din and Hoda Wahid Amer}
}
