Setting the stage for successful oral feeding: the impact of implementing the SOFFI feeding program with medically fragile NICU infants.
To evaluate the impact of implementing the Supporting Oral Feeding in Fragile Infants (SOFFI) program in a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the oral feeding, growth, and length of stay outcomes of a heterogeneous population of medically fragile infants at discharge and feeding and growth outcomes postdischarge at 3 to 5 months postterm. Data related to feeding, growth, and length of stay from a convenience sample of 81 infants recruited pre-SOFFI training were compared with data for 75 infants recruited post-SOFFI training of the NICU staff. Subjects were not excluded on the basis of level of illness or medical diagnoses. To establish comparability of subject groups, infants were assigned scores using the Neonatal Medical Index. At 3 to 5 months postterm, semistructured parent phone interviews related to feeding and growth at home were conducted (n = 128). Post-SOFFI infants born at less than 37 weeks' gestation achieved full oral feedings in significantly fewer days than pre-SOFFI infants (P = .01). Time to achieve full oral feedings was not significantly different in post-SOFFI infants born at 37 or more weeks' gestation. Growth and length of stay were not significantly different at discharge. At follow-up, parents of post-SOFFI infants reported significantly fewer feeding problems overall (P = .01), less arching (P = .003), less vomiting (P = .006), and fewer infants seeing feeding specialists (P = .03). Results of the study support that NICU implementation of the SOFFI feeding program positively influences feeding outcomes before and following discharge.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois (Mss Horner, Simonelli, Schmidt, Cichowski, and Hancko and Mr Zhang); JFK Partners Center for Family and Infant Interaction, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (Dr Ross); Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah (Dr Ross); Rose Medical Center, Denver, Colorado (Dr Ross); STAR Center, Denver, Colorado (Dr Ross); and Feeding FUNdamentals, LLC, Thornton, Colorado (Dr Ross).
Susan
S
Horner
Ann Marie
AM
Simonelli
Holly
H
Schmidt
Kristin
K
Cichowski
Mimi
M
Hancko
Gang
G
Zhang
Erin Sundseth
ES
Ross
D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D010351:Patient Discharge; D016730:Program Development; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology