The investigators will establish an evidence base for the Nifty Feeding Cup by evaluating its effectiveness and caregiver satisfaction. The investigators will conduct a randomized crossover trial that compares the Nifty Feeding Cup to a standardized, generic medicine cup used to feed preterm infants with breastfeeding difficulties at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana.
The investigators aim to compare the Nifty Feeding Cup to a standardized, generic cup in up to 200 preterm infants. The aim and hypotheses were selected based on the most informative outcomes given the scope of the funding. The investigators will test the hypotheses that Nifty Feeding Cup feeding compared to generic cup feeding will result in: 1. Less spillage 2. Greater caregiver satisfaction 3. Shorter duration of feeds
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
200
The 40 mL Nifty Feeding Cup features an extended reservoir off the lip of the cup that holds a small bolus of milk, ensuring efficient delivery of milk, is made of a durable, soft, silicone material that protects the infant's mouth from injury, has embossed measurements help with tracking volume and intake of milk, is ergonomically designed for frequent use and to enhance finger and wrist control of milk flow and is made from a quick-drying, ultraviolet radiation-resistant, durable, affordable silicone that can be boiled for sterilization. Mothers can directly express into the cup, reducing possible cross-contamination from other containers.
The generic cup that will be used in this study is a small medicine cup 30 ml in size.Small medicine cups are manufactured by a variety of manufacturers and are commonly used in health facilities to feed breastmilk to infants who are having breastfeeding difficulties. The cups are generally translucent, calibrated with a variety of measurements including 2.5-30 mL.
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH)
Kumasi, Ghana
Caregiver Satisfaction [Immediate]
Caregiver's satisfaction will be the cup she prefers, which will be recorded in the In-Hospital Preference Survey completed after the caregiver has finished the feeding portion of the study. Data refers to number of caregivers who prefer the Nifty Cup.
Time frame: 24-36 hours
Spillage
Spillage will be reported as a percent with the amount of milk in grams spilled/mopped up divided by the total amount of milk weighed in grams less the total amount of milk not used. Each caregiver-infant pair will be provided with a bib cloth for each observed feeding. The bib cloth will be weighed before and after each feed and the weights recorded on the Feeding Assessment form. The difference between the pre and post weights will be used as the measure of the amount spilled. A digital scale will be used to measure the milk weight, which will be recorded in grams.
Time frame: 24-36 hours
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