Early oral feeding ability development trajectory and its influencing factors in preterm infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit
SUN Shiyan
ZHANG Fang
WU Yumei
LI Wenshuang
FAN Chunxiao
ZHOU Minmin
Abstract：Objective: To investigate the early oral feeding ability of preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), explore the development trajectory of their oral feeding ability, and analyze the influencing factors of different trajectory categories. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to select 202 preterm infants admitted to the NICU of a tertiary general hospital in Shandong Province as the study subjects. The oral feeding ability of the preterm infants was continuously monitored within the first 10 days after starting oral feeding. The growth mixture model was used to explore different development trajectories of oral feeding ability, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the influencing factors of different trajectory categories. Results: The oral feeding ability of preterm infants showed an upward trend within the first 10 days after starting oral feeding, with an initial poor oral feeding rate of 47.5%. The growth mixture model revealed two development trajectories: the poor feeding group (40.5%) and the good feeding group (59.5%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age at birth and the severity of illness were independent influencing factors of the development trajectory of oral feeding ability in preterm infants. Conclusion: The incidence of poor oral feeding at the beginning of oral feeding in preterm infants is high. Healthcare professionals should pay attention to the assessment of preterm infants with smaller gestational age and more severe illness, and provide stage-specific and specific interventions to help preterm infants transition from tube feeding to complete oral feeding as soon as possible.
Keywords：preterm infantsoral feedingdevelopment trajectorygrowth mixture modellongitudinal studynursing
Publication Date：2025-04-10
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 1354-1359 )