title: Does visceral osteopathic treatment accelerate meconium passage in very low birth weight infants?- A prospective randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine whether the complementary approach of visceral manipulative osteopathic treatment accelerates complete meconium excretion and improves feeding tolerance in very low birth weight infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial in premature infants with a birth weight <1500 g and a gestational age <32 weeks who received a visceral osteopathic treatment 3 times during their first week of life or no treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Passage of the last meconium occurred after a median of 7.5 days (95% confidence interval: 6-9 days, n = 21) in the intervention group and after 6 days (95% confidence interval: 5-9 days, n = 20,) in the control group (p = 0.11). However, osteopathic treatment was associated with a 8 day longer time to full enteral feedings (p = 0.02), and a 34 day longer hospital stay (Median = 66 vs. 100 days i.e.; p=0.14). Osteopathic treatment was tolerated well and no adverse events were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visceral osteopathic treatment of the abdomen did not accelerate meconium excretion in VLBW (very low birth weight)-infants. However infants in the osteopathic group had a longer time to full enteral feedings and a longer hospital stay, which could represent adverse effects. Based on our trial results, we cannot recommend visceral osteopathic techniques in VLBW-infants.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical trials.gov: NCT02140710.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine and Neuropediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Nadja
authors: N
authors: Haiden
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine and Neuropediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: Pimpel
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine and Neuropediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Kreissl
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Jilma
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine and Neuropediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Angelika
authors: A
authors: Berger
mesh_terms: D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D026301:Manipulation, Osteopathic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008470:Meconium / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors