Prevalence of Feeding Intolerance among Preterm baby Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Background:A preterm baby is a baby born before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy. The severity of preterm birth depends on how early the baby is born, ranging from mild to severe. Feeding intolerance is a prevalent challenge among preterm infants, arising from their underdeveloped gastrointestinal systems. Causes include delayed gastric emptying, immature gut motility, poor coordination of feeding reflexes, and complications like infections or oxygen deficiency. Clinical signs such as vomiting, abdominal distension, abnormal stool patterns, and increased gastric residuals indicate potential feeding intolerance. Prompt identification and management are critical to preventing severe complications.Methodology:This study focused on preterm babies admitted to the NICU, aged 1 to 14 days, with a gestational age of 23 to 36 weeks. Babies with intestinal birth defects, severe sepsis at birth, or milk allergies were excluded. The researchers used convenience sampling to select participants, and the sample size was calculated using a power analysis formula, resulting in 70 babies being included.Result:This study analyzed the demographic variables and feeding intolerance of preterm babies. Most (56%) were born at 30–36 weeks, with 60% weighing 2001–2500g. At 5 minutes, 61% had APGAR scores of 6–10. Vomiting occurred more than twice in 46% of cases, and gastric residuals exceeded 50% in 37%. Diarrhea occurred more than three times in 40%, and abdominal distention was observed in 54%. These findings showed that the prevalence rate of feeding intolerance among pre term babies was 33.33% in tertiary care hospital at Sangli. Conclusion:In conclusion, feeding intolerance was notably prevalent among the study population, with varied indicators such as high gastric residual volumes, frequent vomiting, altered defecation patterns, and significant abdominal distension. These findings, with an overall average prevalence of 33.33%, highlight the importance of vigilant monitoring and tailored feeding strategies to improve outcomes for preterm and low birth weight infants.