Background: Enteral feeding is a safe mean of providing the nutritional requirements of premature
infants. Aim of study: was to assess the effect of continuous versus intermittent bolus feeding on
physical, physiological parameters and gastrointestinal tolerance in premature infants. Design: A
quasi -experimental design was used. Setting: the study was conducted in neonatal intensive care unit
at Benha University Hospital, Benha Teaching Hospital and Benha Specialized Pediatric Hospital.
Sample: A convenient sample of 100 premature infants was divided into two equal groups; 50 infants
who received continuous gastric feeding as group A and 50 infants who received intermittent bolus
feeding as group B. Tools of data collection: the first tool is a structured interviewing questionnaire
sheet to assess personal characteristics of nurses and assess nurses' knowledge regarding enteral
feeding. The second tool is nurses' observational checklist regarding enteral feeding. The third tool is
neonatal feeding intolerance assessment sheet to assess personal characteristics of premature infants,
feeding pattern of premature infants and feeding intolerance criteria. The fourth tool is Neonatal
physical and physiological parameters assessment sheet to assess physical and physiological
parameters. Results: show that there was a statistically significant differences between the studied
groups of premature infants in abdominal distention, vomiting, length, pulse and o2 saturation and a
highly statistically significant differences in weight and respiratory rate. Conclusion: the study
concluded that continuous feeding was more effective than intermittent bolus feeding for feeding
premature infant. Infants who received continuous gastric feeding had more stability in physical
parameters, more increase in weight and length, more stability in physiological parameters and more
gastrointestinal tolerance than those who receive intermittent bolus gavage feeding.
Recommendation: the study recommended the importance of educational programs about enteral
feeding and its technique to improve their knowledge and practice |
