School of Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
Neonatology Clinical Care Unit, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia.
PLoS One. 2019 Mar 22;14(3):e0214091. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214091. eCollection 2019.
Breast milk is important to infant health, yet shorter breastfeeding duration is reported for preterm infants. Both breast and bottle feeds are given in the neonatal unit, with full oral feeding often the last milestone to be achieved prior to discharge home. Unlike standard bottle teats, a vacuum release teat requires the application of negative intra-oral pressure to release milk, and so may facilitate breastfeeding in preterm infants. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of vacuum release teat use on timing of achievement of the first full oral feed and on first completion of 24 h full oral feeds. Feeding method at discharge home, 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 12 weeks corrected gestational age were also examined.
A randomized controlled trial was completed with mothers of preterm infants born 24-33 weeks gestation in the neonatal unit of a tertiary women's hospital. Infants were randomized to one of two parallel groups using a vacuum release teat or standard teat for oral feeds when the mother was not available to breastfeed. Test weights were completed for all oral feeds. It was not possible to blind participants, care givers and outcome assessors to group assignment due to the nature of the study.
The groups did not differ with regard to timing of achievement of first full oral feed or 24 h of full oral feeds. Significantly more infants in the vacuum release teat group were exclusively fed breast milk at discharge from hospital and breastfed at 3 months corrected gestational age.
Use of a vacuum release teat when the mother is not available to breastfeed may promote preterm breastfeeding skills, resulting in higher rates of exclusivity and longer breastfeeding duration.
The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000245594.
母乳对婴儿健康很重要，但早产儿的母乳喂养时间较短。在新生儿病房中，既提供母乳喂养，也提供奶瓶喂养，通常在出院回家前，完全经口喂养是最后一个要达到的里程碑。与标准奶嘴不同，真空释放奶嘴需要在口腔内施加负压才能释放乳汁，因此可能有助于早产儿进行母乳喂养。本研究的目的是确定使用真空释放奶嘴对早产儿首次完全经口喂养时间和首次完成 24 小时完全经口喂养时间的影响。还检查了出院回家时、2 周、6 周和 12 周校正胎龄时的喂养方法。
在一家三级妇女医院的新生儿病房中，对 24-33 周胎龄的早产儿母亲进行了一项随机对照试验。当母亲无法母乳喂养时，婴儿被随机分配到使用真空释放奶嘴或标准奶嘴进行口服喂养的两个平行组中。对所有口服喂养都进行了测试重量。由于研究的性质，参与者、护理人员和结果评估者无法对分组进行盲法。
两组在首次完全经口喂养或 24 小时完全经口喂养的时间上没有差异。在出院时，使用真空释放奶嘴的婴儿中，有更多的婴儿完全母乳喂养，且在 3 个月校正胎龄时母乳喂养。
当母亲无法母乳喂养时使用真空释放奶嘴可能会促进早产儿的母乳喂养技能，从而提高母乳喂养的排他性和持续时间。
该试验在澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心进行，注册号为 ACTRN12615000245594。
