title: The effect of oral training on vital signs of premature infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to develop an applicable oral training protocol and test its effects on vital sign stabilisation in premature infants.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Oral training improves the feeding behaviour of premature infants. However, the inconsistencies of oral training procedures in previous studies obscure the interventional effect of oral training on vital sign stabilisation in premature infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  True experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty premature infants with a gestational age <33 weeks were recruited and randomly assigned to the oral training or control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation tended to improve in the oral training group compared to those in the control group. However, the intergroup differences with respect to vital signs before and after feeding were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies comparing protocols with different measurement points and durations are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Chung Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ya-Chi
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Shih-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Peng-Hong
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chao-Chia
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Hsiao-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001903:Bottle Feeding; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012119:Respiration
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen