Feeding Maturity in Preterm Infants

NCT ID: NCT07273266

Last Updated: 2025-12-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

62 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-03-04

Study Completion Date

2026-07-30

Brief Summary

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The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of two pacifier-use strategies-routine 5-minute pacifier use prior to each feeding versus random 30-minute pacifier use at any time of day, independent of feeding-on feeding maturity in preterm infants. The hypotheses of the study are as follows: H1: The routine use of a pacifier prior to feeding has a positive effect on feeding maturity in preterm infants.

H2: The routine use of a pacifier prior to feeding has a positive effect on discharge weight in preterm infants.

H3: The routine use of a pacifier prior to feeding has a positive effect on the length of hospital stay in preterm infants.

H4: The routine use of a pacifier prior to feeding has a positive effect on the gestational age at discharge in preterm infants.

Detailed Description

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Developing safe and effective feeding skills in preterm infants is a highly complex process. To achieve feeding maturity, preterm infants must establish oropharyngeal anatomical integrity, adequate neurological function, and full coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing. Due to this immaturity, they frequently experience oral feeding difficulties such as low oral-motor tone, poor suck-swallow-breath coordination, sleepiness, gastrointestinal dysmotility, immature sucking pressure, and an inability to maintain stable physiological parameters during feeding. Effective oral feeding is crucial for optimal growth, safe discharge, and the prevention of aspiration and long-term respiratory or neurological complications.

For this reason, preterm infants require support until they develop the necessary skills for oral feeding and successfully transition from orogastric tube feeding to total oral intake. During this transition period, early oral stimulation methods help promote oral development and self-regulation. Among these supportive and complementary strategies, non-nutritive sucking (NNS) facilitates the progression toward oral feeding. Evidence indicates that infants who receive NNS transition to full oral feeding more quickly, demonstrate better feeding performance, achieve more organized sucking behavior, experience improved digestion, and remain more active during feeds.

Although studies emphasize the benefits of NNS, research examining how the frequency, duration, or timing of NNS influences feeding maturity remains limited.

Conditions

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Preterm Feeding Non Nutritive Sucking

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Routine NNS

Newborns who receive routine 5-minute pacifier use before each feeding will constitute the intervention group.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Routine NNS

Intervention Type DEVICE

The content, volume, and method of feeding are determined by the physician. A pacifier is provided for 5 minutes before each feeding. Procedures are carried out in accordance with the "Newborn Nursing Protocols," based on the infant's feeding method.

Feeding maturity is assessed once a week using a feeding monitor.

Control group (Random NNS)

Newborns who are given a pacifier for 30 minutes at random times throughout the day, independent of feeding and based on the infant's cues, will constitute the control group.

Group Type OTHER

Random NNS

Intervention Type DEVICE

The content, volume, and method of feeding are determined by the physician. The infant is given a pacifier for 30 minutes at random times during the day, independent of feeding.

Procedures are carried out in accordance with the "Newborn Nursing Protocols," based on the infant's feeding method.

Feeding maturity is assessed once a week using a feeding monitor.

Interventions

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Routine NNS

The content, volume, and method of feeding are determined by the physician. A pacifier is provided for 5 minutes before each feeding. Procedures are carried out in accordance with the "Newborn Nursing Protocols," based on the infant's feeding method.

Feeding maturity is assessed once a week using a feeding monitor.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Random NNS

The content, volume, and method of feeding are determined by the physician. The infant is given a pacifier for 30 minutes at random times during the day, independent of feeding.

Procedures are carried out in accordance with the "Newborn Nursing Protocols," based on the infant's feeding method.

Feeding maturity is assessed once a week using a feeding monitor.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Preterm
* who are clinically stable, and
* who are within the first day of initiating enteral feeding.

Exclusion Criteria

* Newborns who have a contraindication to pacifier use
* have comorbid medical conditions
* who are intubated
* have congenital anomalies
Minimum Eligible Age

0 Days

Maximum Eligible Age

28 Days

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Acibadem University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Zehra Kan Onturk

Assoc. Prof.

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Serdar Beken

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Acibadem University

Locations

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Acıbadem University

Istanbul, Ataşehir, Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

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Zehra Kan Öntürk, Assoc.Prof.

Role: CONTACT

0265004163

Zehra Kan Öntürk, Assoc.Prof.

Role: CONTACT

02165004163

Facility Contacts

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Zehra Kan Öntürk, Assoc. Prof.

Role: primary

02165004163

Serdar Beken, Prof.

Role: backup

02165004023

References

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Foster JP, Psaila K, Patterson T. Non-nutritive sucking for increasing physiologic stability and nutrition in preterm infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Oct 4;10(10):CD001071. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001071.pub3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27699765 (View on PubMed)

Kaya V, Aytekin A. Effects of pacifier use on transition to full breastfeeding and sucking skills in preterm infants: a randomised controlled trial. J Clin Nurs. 2017 Jul;26(13-14):2055-2063. doi: 10.1111/jocn.13617. Epub 2017 Mar 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27754572 (View on PubMed)

Ecevit A, Erdogan B, Anuk Ince D, Aksu M, Unal S, Turan O, Saracoglu A, Tarcan A. Determination of oral feeding skills in late preterm, early term, and full-term infants using the neonatal oral feeding monitor (NeoSAFE). Ital J Pediatr. 2025 Feb 7;51(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s13052-025-01867-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39920842 (View on PubMed)

Munoz-Gomez E, Ingles M, Molla-Casanova S, Sempere-Rubio N, Serra-Ano P, Aguilar-Rodriguez M. Effects of an Oral Stimulation Program on Feeding Outcomes in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2024;44(1):110-127. doi: 10.1080/01942638.2023.2212767. Epub 2023 May 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37203152 (View on PubMed)

Zhao S, Jiang H, Miao Y, Liu W, Li Y, Zhang Y, Wang A, Cui X. Effects of implementing non-nutritive sucking on oral feeding progression and outcomes in preterm infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2024 Apr 16;19(4):e0302267. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302267. eCollection 2024.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38626172 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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ATADEK-2024/19

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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