A cross-sectional analysis of infant-driven and traditional feeding outcomes for neonatal intensive care unit infants

Objective The goal of this study was to assess the impact of infant-driven feeding (IDF) compared to traditional feeding protocols in promoting earlier successful feeding outcomes. Study design We performed a cross-sectional analysis of infants admitted to a level three neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) over a 2-year period. We compared infants fed with the traditional protocol to those under the IDF protocol. Results Infants in the IDF group were younger at first feed (p < 0.001). There was no difference in age at nasogastric (NG) tube removal or at discharge, length of stay, or percentage breastfeeding at discharge. There were no differences in outcomes within two subgroups born at <35 and <32 weeks gestation, respectively. Conclusion The IDF program led to earlier initiation of oral feeding. However, this did not lead to earlier NG tube removal or discharge, a shorter length of stay, or increase in the rates of breastfeeding.