Randomized Controlled Trial of a Prefeeding Oral Motor Therapy and Its Effect on Feeding Improvement in a Thai NICU

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI) on preterm newborns' feeding efficiency and rates of improvement across Days 1, 3, and 5 of oral feeding in a Thai NICU. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: A 20-bed special neonatal ward and 8-bed NICU in urban Thailand. Participants: Stable newborns (N = 30) born between 26 and 34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) without comorbidities. Methods: After they reached 32 to 34 weeks PMA, participants were randomly assigned to groups. The experimental group (n = 15) received the PIOMI once daily for 7 consecutive days, and the control group (n = 15) received routine care only. After oral feedings were initiated, the mean volume (MV) of oral intake of two consecutive oral feedings was calculated on Days 1, 3, and 5 to assess feeding efficiency and compare the groups. Results: The MV of oral intake (percentage of prescribed feeding) was significantly greater in the experimental group versus the control group on all days of measurement. The MV consumed on Day 1 of oral feeding was 44.9% +/- 7.33% in the experimental group versus 29.7% +/- 9.55% in the control group (P < .001), 53.9% +/- 8.01% versus 30.4% +/- 11.07% on Day 3 (P < .001), and 61.7% +/- 7.44% versus 34.8% +/- 8.76 on Day 5 (P < .001). The rate of improvement was also accelerated in the intervention group. Conclusion: The improved feeding efficiency that we found in our participants is consistent with results from other published studies and supports the use of the PIOMI as an effective oral motor therapy for newborns ages 32 to 34 weeks PMA.