O065 - THE EFFECT OF ORAL MOTOR INTERVENTIONS ON FEEDING AND SWALLOWING IN PREMATURE INFANTS

O065

THE EFFECT OF ORAL MOTOR INTERVENTIONS ON FEEDING AND SWALLOWING IN PREMATURE INFANTS

H. P. -^1,*, B. M. -², A. S. -²

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation , İstinye University, ²Department of Speech and Language Therapy, İstanbul Atlas University, İstanbul, Türkiye

Rationale: In this study, the effects of oral motor intervention applied for four weeks on swallowing and feeding in premature infants fed with NG catheter were evaluated

Methods: In this prospective randomized controlled study, a total of 40 premature infants with a gestational age between 28 and 34 weeks who were fed with an NG catheter during the transition to oral feeding were included. The babies were randomly divided into two groups. The 20 infants in the intervention group  received standard medical care as well as a structured oral motor stimulation program lasting 12 minutes each day, five days a week for four weeks. The exercises were performed once a day, 5 days a week, using sterile gloves after hand hygiene. The 20 infants in the control group received only routine medical care and no additional oral motor intervention. In the evaluation of swallowing function, oral motor skills of infants were assessed with the Schedule for Oral Motor Assessment (SOMA). Feeding status was assessed by POFRAS (Premature Oral Feeding Readiness and Assessment Scale). 

Results: At the end of the four-week intervention, the SOMA scores of the infants in the intervention group were significantly better than the control group ( p<0.001). POFRAS scores were significantly higher in the intervention group (p=0.015), indicating more successful feeding behaviors. 

Conclusion: Structured oral motor interventions applied five days a week for four weeks significantly improved swallowing functions and the transition to oral feeding in NG catheter-fed premature infants. In neonatal intensive care practices, integrating oral motor stimulation programs into standard care protocols may improve oral feeding success, reduce complications, and shorten hospital stay. 

Disclosure of Interest: None declared