Oral motor intervention and weight gain in premature infants: A clinical randomized controlled study
Sayyedeh Marziyeh Mir Masoumi, Seid Hooshyar Mojabi, Shabnam Jaliolghadr, Mohadeseh Bajalan, Azita Kakavand, Mohammad Reza Maleki, Alireza RazzaghiBackground
Interventions aimed at providing oral motor stimulation improve the preparedness for oral feeding and support the earlier attainment of full oral feeding in preterm infants. However, utilizing the Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI) as a structured method may prolong the time needed to reach complete oral feeding and enhance feeding efficiency regarding weight gain and exclusive breastfeeding, compared to an unstructured approach.
Objective
The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of PIOMI on the progression of oral feeding and weight gain in premature infants.
Methods
This study represents a randomized controlled trial that took place in a neonatal intensive care unit in 2024. The intervention group received PIOMI, and the control group did not receive the intervention. The participants of the two groups were compared based on weight gain, mean height, head circumference, and length of hospitalization.
Results
The findings of this study showed that the mean of studied parameters, such as weight, height, and head circumference of the infants in the intervention group, was higher than that of the control group, and this difference was statistically significant (
Discussion
The PIOMI intervention enhances the sucking strength and consequently boosts the growth metrics of premature infants.
Conclusion
It was concluded that the PIOMI intervention increases the sucking power and, as a result, improves the growth indicators of premature neonates, such as weight, height, and head circumference, which is clinically important. Additionally, it reduces the mean hospitalization time.