Effect of Oral Motor Intervention on The Effectiveness of Sucking Reflex and Oral Feeding in Preterm Infants

Abstract

Introduction: preterm Infants suffer from the absence or lack of intensity of reflexes, especially (sucking, swallowing, breathing) as a result of incomplete maturation of their central nervous system, And provide them with feeding according to the results of the nursing assessment about their ability to suck and swallow, whether through the nasogastric tube, intravenous infusion or through the mouth, if the degree is weak or intermediate, feeding is done by intravenous infusion or nasogastric tube, and if the degree is strong or very strong, feeding is done by mouth, and therefore oral motor interference can improve the intensity of the sucking reflex and oral feeding. Research objective: This study aimed to Determination of the effect of oral motor interference on the effectiveness of the sucking reflex and oral feeding in preterm infants. Materials and methods: The quasi-experimental design was used in this research, and the study included (40) preterm males and females, demographic and health data were collected and the sucking reflex effectiveness scale and the oral feeding scale were used during the trial days. Results: the results showed the presence of significant differences (P<0.000) in improving the effectiveness of the sucking reflex, but there are no significant differences in weight after the eighth meal (P>0.060) with improved oral feeding. the presence of significant differences (P<0.000) in reducing the duration of the transition from tube feeding to full oral feeding, reducing the length of hospital stay, and also the presence of significant differences (P<0.020) in weight gain on dredging. Conclusion and Recommendations: The effectiveness of the sucking reflex in preterm infants in the experimental group increased more than in the control group, and this increase was very significant from a statistical point of view, and the weight of preterm infants in the experimental group increased more than in the control group, which indicated an improvement in oral feeding in preterm infants, but there are no significant differences, the weight of preterm infants in the experimental group increased by a greater value than in the control group, as this increase was statistically significant, and the duration of hospitalization of preterm infants in the experimental group was less than in the control group, and this decrease was very statistically significant, it is recommended to adopt the application of oral motor interference for preterm infants or for children with impaired sucking reflex in neonatal intensive care departments, incubators and neonatal ward.