Improving preterm infant outcomes: implementing an evidence-based oral feeding advancement protocol in the neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: The ability of a preterm infant to exclusively oral feed is a necessary standard for discharge readiness from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Many of the interventions related to oral feeding advancement currently employed for preterm infants in the NICU are based on individual nursing observations and judgment. Studies involving standardized feeding protocols for oral feeding advancement have been shown to decrease variability in feeding practices, facilitate shortened transition times from gavage to oral feedings, improve bottle feeding performance, and significantly decrease the length of stay (LOS) in the NICU. PURPOSE: This project critically evaluated the implementation of an oral feeding advancement protocol in a 74-bed level III NICU in an attempt to standardize the process of advancing oral feedings in medically stable preterm infants. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature identified key features for successful oral feeding in preterm infants. RESULTS: Strong levels of evidence suggested an association between both nonnutritive sucking (NNS) opportunities and standardized feeding advancement protocols with successful oral feeding in preterm infants. These findings prompted a pilot practice change using a feeding advancement protocol and consisted of NNS and standardized oral feeding advancement opportunities. Time to exclusive oral feedings and LOS were compared pre- and postprotocol implementation during more than a 2-month evaluation period. CONCLUSIONS: Infants using NNS and the standardized oral feeding advancement protocol had an observed reduction in time to exclusive oral feedings and LOS, although statistical significance was not achieved.

Neonatal liver cell donation: a case report.

Traditional organ transplant options for newborns have been rare. There continues to be an increasing need for organs for transplant and a limited number of available organs, especially for small children. Liver cell transplantation is a promising alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation to treat liver-based inborn errors of metabolism.1 The procedure is minimally invasive and can be performed repeatedly. The safety of the procedure has been well established, and the clinical results are encouraging.1 The liver cell donation process is an option for families who experience the loss of a newborn and offers them a legacy for their child by providing life for others. The purpose of this article is to discuss the neonatal liver cell donation process and present a case report of an anencephalic infant whose parents chose to participate in this unique program.

Oral feeding readiness in preterm infants: a concept analysis.

Oral feeding readiness in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) population of preterm infants is a complex and multifactorial concept that is encountered on a daily basis. The significance of having an understanding of the concept of oral feeding readiness within the context of prematurity is explored using the Wilsonian approach to concept analysis through the identification of characteristics and case examples of oral feeding readiness in preterm infants as directly observed in a level III NICU. Identification of these essential elements provides clarity for determining oral feeding readiness as well as leading to greater consistency in the provision of evidence-based feeding-related care for the preterm infant hospitalized in the NICU. Outcomes of this analysis demonstrated that oral feeding readiness is affected by a combination of neurodevelopmental maturity, behavioral state organization, and physiologic stability as well as being influenced by caregivers and the environment.