The Effect of Supplemental Feeding Tube Device on Time to Transition to Exclusive Breastfeeding and Discharge: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Preterm Infants.

This study investigated the effect of supplemental feeding tube device (SFTD) method on time to transition to exclusive breastfeeding and discharge time in preterm infants. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of a public hospital in Turkey (Clinical Trial Number: NCT05815706). The sample consisted of 65 preterm infants randomized into a control ( = 32) and an experimental ( = 33) group. The experimental group participants were SFTD-fed until they switched to exclusive breastfeeding. The control group participants were fed according to the routine procedure. Data were collected using a questionnaire, a Preterm Infant Monitoring Form, and the LATCH Breastfeeding Assessment Tool. The data were analyzed using numbers, percentage distributions, means, standard deviations, Pearson's chi-square test, and independent samples test. The study was approved by an Ethics Committee. Permission was obtained from the hospital. Informed consent was obtained from all parents. The experimental group (123.64 ± 63.25 hours) demonstrated an earlier transition to exclusive breastfeeding compared with the control group (187.50 ± 95.30 hours) ( < 0.05). The experimental group (361.45 ± 110.46 hours) had significantly shorter hospital stays than the control group (479.25 ± 163.17 hours). The experimental group (35.33 ± 1.14 weeks) had a significantly younger gestational age at discharge than the control group (35.97 ± 1.03 weeks). The SFTD is an alternate supportive feeding method that helps preterm infants switch to exclusive breastfeeding sooner, have shorter hospital stays, and have a younger gestational age at discharge than their bottle-fed counterparts.