Oral versus nasal route for placing feeding tubes: no effect on hypoxemia and bradycardia in infants with apnea of prematurity.

BACKGROUND: Raised upper airway resistance may be involved in apnea of prematurity (AOP). OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of an oral versus a nasal gastric tube on episodes of hypoxemia and bradycardia in infants with AOP. METHODS: In a randomized controlled cross-over trial, 32 infants (median gestational age 29 (range 24-31) weeks, postmenstrual age at study 32 (range 30-35) weeks) with the need for tube feeding and symptoms of AOP underwent a 24-hour recording of breathing movements, nasal airflow, heart rate, pulse oximeter saturation and pulse waveforms. A 5-Fr feeding tube was placed orally or nasally for 12 h each, the position selected first was randomly assigned. When the feeding tube was placed nasally, always the smaller nostril was selected. Each infant acted as his/her own control. Recordings were analyzed for the summed rate of bradycardia and desaturation (heart rate <2/3 of baseline, saturation