Cup Versus Bottle Feeding for Late Preterm Infants

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of using cup feeding for preterm infants during NICU stay on breastfeeding outcomes after discharge. The following hypotheses are being tested: Infants Fed by cup during NICU stay will have higher breastfeeding proportions than infants fed by bottle Infants fed by cup during NICU stay will have higher breastfeeding behaviour score on the Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale than infants fed by bottle

Detailed Description
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The provision of breast milk is essential for preterm infants as it provides unique health benefits that are unmatched by other types of feeding [1-3]. However, breastfeeding presents unique challenges for preterm infants that include establishing and maintaining the mothers' milk supply and transitioning the infant from gavage feeding to breastfeeding [4]. One of the issues that presents during the transition to breastfeeding is that mothers of preterm infants are rarely available for all oral feedings during hospitalization; this makes it necessary for infants to receive oral feedings by other method, usually bottle feeding. However, exposure of newborn infants to artificial nipples has been strongly associated with breastfeeding problems [5-9]. Frequently these problems have been explained by phenomena called nipple confusion. Nipple confusion occurs when infants are exposed to two different feeding methods, bottle and breast, resulting in the infant refusing to breastfeed. Consequently, it has been recommended that bottle feeding be avoided and that cup feeding be used for the supplementation of term as well as preterm infants. Cup feeding is known as an alternative method of feeding breast milk to an infant using a small cup without a lip. Cup feeding is also recommended by the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.The use of cup was originally based on the goal of avoiding propping of bottles and also to increase bodily contact with the mother during feeding. Although cup feeding receives little mention in medical literature, and may seem to be a new technique for some, it has been used in several developing as well as developed countries. Lang, who observed cup feeding in South Nepal, implemented cup feeding in England and the practice expanded to other developed countries. Consequently cup feeding was established as a method for feeding infants who could not be breastfed from birth.

Official Title
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Cup Versus Bottle Feeding for Hospitalized Late Preterm Infants in Egypt

Conditions
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Breastfeeding

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: Cup Feeding
* Device: Bottle Feeding


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Singleton birth 34 to 37 weeks of gestation at birth Maternal intention to breastfeed Fed only by tube feeding Exclusion Criteria: Infants who had any condition interfering with oral feeding Infants with craniofacial anomalies Infants with intracranial hemorrhage

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 34 Weeks
Maximum Age: 37 Weeks

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: I<br>Group one received feeding by bottle as the standard method of feeding in the NICU | Device: Bottle Feeding<br>* receiving all feeding by bottle<br>* Other names: bottle feeding group;|
| Experimental: II<br>Group 2 received all feeding by cup | Device: Cup Feeding<br>* using a cup feeding technique for feeding the preterm infants during NICU stay<br>* Other names: Cup-feeding Group;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Breastfeeding Proportion |  | one week | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Cup Feeding, late Preterm