Influencing factors associated with transition time to achieve full oral feeding for premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective To investigate and analyze the influencing factors associated with transition time to achieve full oral feeding for premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods A total of 251 NICU hospitalization preterm infants and their mothers meeting the inclusion criteria in Shanghai First Maternal and Infant Health Care Hospital were collected. Finding the medical records to obtain the basic information of the premature infants and feeding conditions, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Beck Depression Scale-Ⅱ(BDI- Ⅱ) was used to assess the mothers′ anxiety and depression. Results The transition time to achieve full oral feeding of NICU preterm infants was (5.31±2.93) days. Greater gestational age (β=-0.484, P<0.01), time of breast milk feeding through mouth (β=0.042, P=0.003) had a positive effect on the transition time to achieve full oral feeding. Congenital heart disease (β=0.587, P=0.050), maternal anxiety (β=0.206, P<0.01), depression (β=0.727, P<0.01) and interaction between maternal anxiety and depression (β=0.014, P<0.01) were risk factors of longer time to achieving full oral feeding. The multiple linear regression accounting for a total of 58.2% of all the variation. Conclusions Oral feeding progression in premature infants was influenced by many factors. Gestational age can be the indicators of implementing oral feeding. It is beneficial to initiate oral feeding and feed with breast milk early. If the infants have heart diseases, oral feeding progression would be retardant. Maternal anxiety and depression may prolong the transition time to achieve full oral feeding. Control the factors which affect oral feeding progression, pay attention on mothers′ emotion and formulate appropriate feeding intervention for premature infants to promote full oral feeding are of great importance. Key words: Infant, premature; Neonatal intensive care unit; Oral feeding; Mother; Anxiety; Depression