The Combined Association of an Oral Motor Stimulation and Language Intervention on Preterm Infant Feeding
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
Summary
This is a randomized controlled trial to study an oromotor stimulation in combination with a reading curriculum in the NICU among preterm infants using oral muscle exercises, Language Environment Analysis (LENA) recordings, linguistic feedback, and a language curriculum to improve the neonatal inpatient oral feeding and language outcomes for preterm infants.
Description
This project aims to determine the effects of an oral motor stimulation combined with a reading curriculum vs an oral motor stimulation alone vs controls among preterm infants born 23-30 weeks gestation in the NICU. We hypothesize that the infants receiving an oral motor stimulation in conjunction with a reading curriculum will start oral feeding at an earlier age, have fewer days to full oral feeding, and fewer days in the NICU compared to infants receiving an oral motor stimulation and controls. We hypothesize that the infants receiving an oral motor stimulation in conjunction with a reading…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 0–0 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * 23-30 weeks * English and Spanish speaking Exclusion Criteria: * Major congenital anomalies * Surgical necrotizing enterocolitis * Non-English and Non-Spanish speaking
Interventions
- BehavioralOromotor stimulation
This will begin around 33 weeks corrected, the day following the first NTrainer measurements. The oral stimulation program will be modeled after the protocol designed and studied for preterm infants and will be implemented for a goal of 10 consecutive days within a 14 day period. This includes 10 minutes of stroking the cheeks, lips, gums, and tongue, and the final 5 minutes consisting of mid tongue stroking, eliciting a suck with gloved finger, and sucking on a pacifier provided in the NICU. This will occur 15-30 minutes before a scheduled tube feeding when the infant is tolerating bolus enteral feeds of 120 ml/kg/day for at least 48 hours. This will occur behind a curtain to ensure blinding of staff and parents. Modifications will be made for infants that remain intubated and only 10 minutes of the stroking of the cheeks, lips, gums, and tongue will occur. Stimulation will cease if episodes of oxygen desaturation and/or apnea/bradycardia occur during the stimulation.
- BehavioralReading curriculum
Written packets with biweekly lessons. The first two lessons include how to begin to read and talk to their baby. The second two lessons include reading or talking about the day using infant directed speech. The final two lessons include continuing to engage with the baby through interactive reading.
- BehavioralLENA recording
The LENA device provides 24 hours of language recordings placed inside an infant vest. The recordings are uploaded to a computer which analyzes total adult word counts, infant vocalizations, conversational turns, background noise, and silence.
- Behavioral
Location
- Women & Infants NICUProvidence, Rhode Island