Research on the Impact of Early Oral Motor Intervention on Babies' Oral Feeding and Growth: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Prior to 32–34 weeks of gestation, preterm newborns did not develop the ability to coordinate sucking and swallowing. Reduced hospital stays are the result of enhanced oral motor musculature and neurobehavioral synergy, which speeds up the process of being ready to feed orally, increases weight growth, and so on. One kind of oral motor therapy that has shown promise in improving clinical outcomes for premature newborns is PIOMI, or Premature Infant Oral Motor Interventions. There has never been a systematic evaluation of PIOMI's effects on early infants' weight gain, length of hospital stay (LOS), or oral feeding progression. This review was so premeditated.

Methods: We searched databases such as PubMed/Medline, Embase, Ovid, Clinical Key, Academia, Google, and Google Scholar (from the start of PIOMI to October 2020) to compile this review. Research publications detailing randomized controlled trials and clinical trials were composed.

Findings: Meta Analysis (MA) comprised six trials including 301 preterm newborns. The results showed that PIOMI was effective in achieving feeding progression early on (MD = −4.63 days at 95% CI = −4.97 to −4.29), transitioning from gavage to independent oral feeding (MD = −2.54 days at 95% CI = −3.13 to −1.95, p < 0.001), demonstrating weight gain at discharge (MD = 51.61 grams at 95% CI = 19.84 to 83.38, p = 0.001), and reducing LOS (MD = −2.81 days at 95% CI = −3.51 to −2.10, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: PIOMI was found to be helpful in reducing LOS, promoting weight gain upon discharge, and increasing oral feeding progression and early attainment of gavage to independent oral feedings.