Effect of smell and taste to improve nutrition in very preterm babies.

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: prematurity; growth failure; milk intolerance; Diet and Nutrition - Other diet and nutrition disorders; Reproductive Health and Childbirth - Childbirth and postnatal care; Oral and Gastrointestinal - Normal oral and gastrointestinal development and function

• Registration Number: ACTRN12617000583347
• Lead Sponsor: Mater Misericordiae Limited

Brief Summary

This trial investigated the following question: if preterm born babies do regularly smell and taste their milk when they are fed through a tube in their stomach compared with routine care, do they grow better? Findings: A total of 396 preterm born babies receive one of either: regular exposure to the smell and taste of their milk with tube feeding compared with routine care. Smell and tast of their milk did not improve their weight at discharge. However, smell and taste of milk may improve head size and length at 36 weeks of gestational age but not at discharge. This means that although smell and taste of milk with tube feeding did not improve weight at discharge, the combination remains a simple and low-cost intervention without adverse effects and some potential benefits.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2017-04-26
• Study Completion: 2022-10-31
• Last Update Posted: 8 April 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 396

Inclusion Criteria

< 29 weeks postmenstrual age and/or less than 1250 g birth weight

Exclusion Criteria

1. infants with congenital conditions associated with the digestive system requiring surgery shortly after birth, e.g.: gastroschisis, any malformation requiring a stoma after birth (e.g.: anal atresia), oesophageal atresia.
2. Congenital conditions leading to impaired growth: e.g.: trisomy 21, trisomy 18, salt wasting enteropathy.

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Weight z-scores at discharge home assessed by calibrated digital scales.[ Discharge home]