A controlled trial of alternative methods of oral feeding in neonates

Background: Some neonatal units are introducing use of cup and traditional feeding devices for feeding young infants although they have been not been evaluated objectively. Hence this controlled trial of the use of the bottle , cup and a traditional feeding device ('paladai') was undertaken in neonat es. Method: The study comprised of 100 infants including full-term normal w eight infants (n = 66), term growth retarded infants (il = 20), and preterm infants (n = 14). All three methods were tried on every infant by the same nurse for a particular baby, so that each infant served as his/her control and in order to avoid the effect of major influencing factors. Parameters evaluated were the volume ingested, duration of the feed, degree of spillin g and satiety. Results: The infants took the maximum volume in the least ti me and kept quiet longest with the paladai. The findings were particularly significant in the group including all the categories of infants. Spilling was the highest with the cup, especially with preterm infants. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.