Effects of Prefeeding Oral Stimulation on Feeding Performance in Preterm Infants

"The intervention will start at 32 weeks PMA in a medically stable infant feed by gavage feeding for the infants born before 32 weeks' gestational age, and, as soon as clinical stability is acquired, for the infants born after 32 weeks.~The prefeeding oral stimulation program consists of a 15-minute stimulation program, delivered by the nurse or the medical staff, according to the stimulation program proposed by Fucile, Gisel and Lau. The program is going to be administered once a day for 14 consecutive days (for infants born before 32 weeks' gestational age), 15 to 30 minutes before a tube feeding. In infants born after 32 weeks' gestational age, stimulation program is going to be stopped when the infant attains 3 complete oral feedings by day."