We included 19 studies of poor quality with small numbers of participants. Study findings suggest that oral stimulation interventions can shorten the transition to oral feeding, reduce length of hospital stay and decrease time spent on parenteral nutrition. No studies looked at longer-term outcomes of the interventions (i.e. beyond six months). Studies have reported no effect on breast feeding outcomes nor on weight gain.
Quality of evidenceThese studies were small and most were of low or very low methodological quality. Review authors identified no high-quality studies that could support the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of oral stimulation interventions. Larger, well-designed RCTs are needed to help inform parents and caregivers about the possible benefits and harms of this intervention.3 Oral stimulation for promoting oral feeding in preterm infants (Review)