ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Premature baby's oral feeding is not possible until the reflex of sucking-swallowing-breathing adquisition. Its delay extends hospital stay and increases the incidence of oral motor disorders in early childhood. AIMS: To analyze the transition from enteral to oral nutrition, the comorbidity associated with its delay and the impact of an early suction stimulation in a cohort of premature babies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective checking of 95 infants less than 32 gestation weeks (GW) admitted to a neonatal ICU in the last 4 years. It was revised the gestational age, anthropometric at birth and discharge, comorbidity, duration of mechanical ventilation, oxygen requirements, time of beginning and end of enteral/oral nutrition, beginning of Kangaroo method and the suction stimulation and the daily weight gain average. RESULTS: Suction stimulation began between weeks 29 and 40 GW (average and median 32 GW). Oral nutrition was initiated between 31-40 GW (average and median 33 GW) and completed between 33-44 GW (average and median 35 GW). Oral nutrition was delayed in patients who required longer mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy. There was a positive correlation between the beginning of suction stimulation and the time of acquisition of a complete oral nutrition (84% Spearman correlation test) and length of hospital stay (80% Spearman correlation test). CONCLUSIONS: [corrected] Early suction stimulation in a preterm patient seems to facilitate full oral nutrition at an early stage and it is associated with a hospital stay decrease and the improvement in the daily weight gain average.
