Effect of non-aspirated gastric residual content on preterm infants' health status

Background: Gastric residuals (GR) aspiration is considered standard practice for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Unfortunately, there little information about dangers and advantages of this routine procedure. Various procedures, such as measurement gastric residual volume (GRV), may contribute to problem inadequate calorie intake newborns. Aim: The current study aimed evaluate effect non-gastric on infant weight, necrotizing enterocolitis, time reach full enteral feeding. Methods: A quasi-experimental (control intervention) design was used study. El-Manial University Hospital Elmonira Pediatric NICUS cared sixty infants. Four different tools were used: (I) Neonatal personal information; (II) a observational checklist; (III) Fenton Growth Weight Chart; (IV) Modified Bell's Staging Criteria Necrotizing Enterocolitis. results: mean number days required achieve 120 ml kg per day intervention group 7.21 ± 0.66, whereas, control group, it 9.72 0.85, difference that slightly significant at p-value < 0.05.