In this pilot trial, the investigators will determine the feasibility of monitoring nutritive sucking patterns to facilitate the transition from tube to oral feeding in extremely-low-birth weight (ELBW) infants
In this parallel-group randomized controlled trial, ELBW infants (birthweight \< 1000 grams) will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either weekly reporting on objective measurements of sucking activity during oral feeding (intervention group) or usual care without information on sucking activity (control group).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE
In the intervention group, data on nutritive sucking and feeding cues captured by the Instrumented Bottle will be made available to speech therapists to document the feeding session and provide written recommendations in their weekly report.
In the control group, the information captured by the Instrumented Bottle will not be made available to speech therapists and therefore, will not be used to document a feeding session or provide weekly recommendations.
Time to independent oral feeding
Time interval in days from introduction of oral feeding to full independent oral feeding
Time frame: Birth to 120 days
Postnatal age at discharge
Age in days at the time of hospital discharge
Time frame: Birth to 120 days
Length of hospital stay
Total number of hospitalization days
Time frame: Birth to 120 days
Growth rate during the transition from tube to oral feeding
Weekly weight gain in g/kg/day
Time frame: Birth to 120 days
Tube feeding events per day during the transition from tube to oral feeding.
Daily count of tube feeding events
Time frame: Birth to 120 days
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