Effect of Developmental Care on Comfort, Growth, and Oral Feeding Transition in Preterm Infants

Summary

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of kangaroo care combined with maternal voice and fetal positioning on the comfort, growth, and transition to full oral feeding in preterm infants aged 30 to 34 weeks gestation. After ethical approval, eligible infants in the neonatal clinic will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group receiving kangaroo care, maternal voice, and fetal positioning, or a control group receiving only fetal positioning in the incubator. The intervention involves daily one-hour kangaroo care sessions with maternal storytelling, followed by positioning in the lateral fetal posture, continuing at least five days per week until infants achieve full oral feeding. Infant comfort will be assessed regularly using the Neonatal Comfort Behavior Scale before feeding, immediately after kangaroo care, and after fetal positioning. Growth parameters, including weight, length, and head circumference, will be measured and recorded on kangaroo care days. The control group will receive routine fetal positioning without kangaroo care, with identical measurements taken. The study aims to determine whether kangaroo care combined with maternal voice and fetal positioning improves infant comfort, supports growth, and facilitates the transition to full oral feeding in preterm newborns.

Conditions

• Infant, Premature
• Kangaroo Mother Care
• Comfort
• Feeding
• Oral Feeding Performance
• Facilitated Tucking

Interventions

OTHER

Kangaroo Care + Maternal Voice + Fetal Position Group

After ethical approval, all infants with a gestational age between 30-34 weeks in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be assessed. Parents of eligible infants will be informed about the study and asked to provide written consent. The infants will then be assigned to one of two groups: kangaroo care + mother's voice + fetal position (n=34) or fetal position only (n=34). In the first group, after tube feeding, infants will receive one hour of kangaroo care with the mother, including reading a story for the first 15 minutes. After finishing kangaroo care,they will then be placed in a fetal position in an incubator for 30 minutes. Comfort levels, weight, length, and head circumference will be measured daily until oral feeding begins, and the impact of kangaroo care and the mother's voice on the transition to full oral feeding will be assessed. All procedures will occur between 08:00 and 16:00.

OTHER

control group

After ethical approval, all infants with a gestational age between 30-34 weeks in the Neonatal Intensıve Care Unit will be assessed. Parents of eligible infants will be informed about the study and asked to provide written consent. If infant is in the fetal position group, after being fed by a oral gastric tube, they will be placed in an incubator and positioned in a fetal position similar to that in the womb for one and a half hours. During all these procedures, infant's comfort levels will be assessed using a scale (form), and their weight, length, and head circumference will be measured every morning until they begin oral feeding. Additionally, the effect of the fetal position on infant's transition to full oral feeding will be evaluated.All procedures will take place between 08:00 and 16:00.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fenerbahce University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Canan GENÇ, Ph.D student · Fenerbahce University

• Duygu Gözen, Ph.D · Koç University

• NEGARIN Akbari, Ph.D · Fenerbahce University

• Melek Selalmaz, Ms.c · ŞİŞLİ HAMİDİYE ETFAL TRAINING AND RESEARCH HOSPITAL

• Ali Bulbul, Doctor · ŞİŞLİ HAMİDİYE ETFAL TRAINING AND RESEARCH HOSPITAL

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

30 Weeks

Max Age

34 Weeks

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-02-10

Primary Completion

2026-02-10

Completion

2026-03-10

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations