How long does it take to start minimal enteral feeding in preterm Neonates admitted to NICUs in Southern Oromia, Ethiopia?

ABSTRACT:

Background

The timely initiation of trophic feeding (TF) is crucial for premature newborns, but challenging due to immaturity, respiratory instability, abdominal distension, resource scarcity, and healthcare worker expertise. Moreover, there is a dearth of information on predictors of full trophic feeding time. Therefore, this retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the time it takes and its predictors to initiate minimal enteral feeding in preterm neonates in Southern Oromia, Ethiopia.

Method

A facility-based retrospective follow up study was conducted among 434 randomly selected preterm neonates admitted to NICU of Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital and Yabello General Hospital from January 1, 2021 to December 30, 2022. Data were extracted by a pretested struct

SUBMITTER: Fikrie A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11803979 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature