Feeding Intolerance among Preterm Neonates Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Premature infants frequently suffer from feeding intolerance related to prematurity and are highly associated with morbidity and mortality. Breast milk is fundamental to the improvement of the infant’s immature vulnerable framework and decreases child mortality. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of feeding intolerance in premature neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among premature infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care hospital, from 15 December 2021 to 15 May 2022 after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 2211202103). Convenience sampling was done. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among the 55 preterm neonates, the prevalence of feeding intolerance was 21 (38.18%) (25.34-51.02, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The study showed that the prevalence of feeding intolerance among neonates was higher than in studies conducted in similar settings.

Keywords

• feeding patterns; food intolerance; morbidity; mortality; preterm infants.