Effect of NNS on Oral Feeding in Neonates With Perinatal Asphyxia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

What is it about?

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of NNS stimulation on oral intake, discharge time, and early feeding skills in infants with perinatal asphyxia. A randomized controlled study was conducted with 94 infants. 47 were included in the experimental group and given NNS stimulation once a day before tube feeding by a speech-language therapist (SLT) in addition to hypothermia treatment. Infants’ feeding perfor- mances on the days of first oral intake and discharge were evaluated with the Early Feeding Skills Scale (EFS).

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Why is it important?

The findings indicated that the NNS stimulation positively affected oral intake and early feeding skills in infants with perinatal asphyxia, as in pre- terms. However, NNS stimulation had no significant effect on discharge and weight gain in infants with asphyxia. This finding may be attributed to other fac- tors. It is recommended to use NNS by an SLT in a neonatal intensive care unit within a multidisciplinary team to accelerate the transition to oral feeding and improve feeding skills in infants with perinatal asphyxia. Further studies on the effect of NNS stimulation in infants with perinatal asphyxia are needed to cor- roborate its effects on discharge time and weight gain.