Effectiveness of Oral Sensory-Motor Stimulation in Premature Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Systematic Review.

Paula Rodriguez Gonzalez,Carmen Ruiz Molinero,Gema Chamorro-Moriana,Gloria Gonzalez-Medina,Ana María Vazquez-Casares,Veronica Perez-Cabezas

doi:10.3390/children8090758

Paula Rodriguez Gonzalez, Carmen Ruiz Molinero + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/children8090758

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and to assess the best evidence currently available on the effectiveness of oral sensory-motor stimulation in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statements. The search was conducted using the Pubmed, Web of Science (WOS), PEDro and Scopus databases. Clinical trials were reviewed and PEDro rating scale was used to assess the methodological quality of these studies. Results: 1267 studies were found and 11 were relevant and included in this review. Improvements were obtained in achieving independent feeding, maturation of the sucking pattern, transition to full feeding, motor function and length of hospital stay in most studies. Conclusions: there is evidence to support the benefits of the use of oral sensorimotor stimulation to achieve independent oral feeding in preterm infants, thereby reducing their stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Highlights

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely every year, 8% to 10% of them in industrialized countries [1].Pre-birth factors [2,3] combined with premature birth risk factors [4,5,6] increase the risk of death, which is estimated at one million babies dying in the first year of life [4,5,6,7,8]
Some of them are not limited only to the perinatal period, but they can be extended throughout life generating great disability and impact on the well-being of the babies [7,8,9,10]
The objective of all of these reviews is assessing the effectiveness of oral sensorimotor stimulation in achieving complete oral feeding in a Children 2021, 8, 758 shorter time and a reducing length of stay in the hospital of preterm babies. In contrast to these articles, the present review aims to establish all the variables on which oral sensorymotor stimulation has an impact in premature infants admitted to the NICU

Summary

Introduction

Pre-birth factors [2,3] combined with premature birth risk factors [4,5,6] increase the risk of death, which is estimated at one million babies dying in the first year of life [4,5,6,7,8]. Those who survive, approximately 50%, have developmental functional diversity such as motor, cognitive and behavioral impairments. Some of them are not limited only to the perinatal period, but they can be extended throughout life generating great disability and impact on the well-being of the babies [7,8,9,10].

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