| Sumario: | Question: Does non-nutritive sucking improve clinical outcomes in premature infants? Data sources: Studies were identified by searching Medline and CINAHL (back to 1976) and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register using the terms infant, premature; intensive care units, neonatal; enteral nutrition; sucking behavior; infant nutrition; gastric emptying; growth; parenteral nutrition; bottle feeding; infant care; infant, low birth weight; somatostatin; crying; oxygen; child development; physical stimulation; taste; infant, newborn; and feeding behavior and the text words 'non,' 'nutritive,' and 'suck.' Bibliographies of articles were reviewed and 2 experts were contacted to identify other published or unpublished studies. Study selection: Studies were selected if they were experimental or quasiexperimental trials that compared non-nutritive sucking of a pacifier with no provision of non-nutritive sucking in premature infants (< 37 wks gestation) and assessed clinically relevant outcomes (eg, weight gain, length of hospital stay, transition to oral or nipple feedings, heart rate and oxygen saturation, and behaviour). Data extraction: Data were extracted on study design and methods, participants, intervention, and outcomes. Articles were assessed for methodological quality (eg, blinding and completeness of follow up). Main results: 19 studies met the selection criteria, but only randomised trials (n = 13) were included in the analysis. Meta-analyses showed that infants provided with non-nutritive sucking had shorter hospital stays (7 d less) than infants not provided with non-nutritive sucking, but did not differ for weight gain, heart rate, or oxygen saturation (table). Conclusion: Non-nutritive sucking provided to premature infants reduces the length of hospital stay, but does not affect weight gain, energy intake, heart rate, or oxygen saturation.
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