the efficacy of oral erythromycin in enhancement of milk tolerance in premature infants: a randomized clinical trial

background:  a great number of premature neonates do not tolerate sufficient milk during the early neonatal period.   objective: to evaluate the effect of oral erythromycin on enhancement of feeding tolerance in preterm newborns.   methods: sixty preterm neonates intolerant to milk of >75 ml/kg/day during 5 days after the start of feedings, were randomized into a treatment and a control groups.  oral erythromycin (12.5 mg/kg/dose) was given to the treatment group for a maximum of 10 days, or until full enteral feeding (150 ml/kg/day) was tolerated.   results: oral erythromycin enhanced feeding tolerance in premature neonates of ≥ 32 wks of gestation (p<0.032) with no adverse effects and led to a shorter hospital stay (p<0.003) as compared to the control group.   conclusion:   oral erythromycin is an effective drug for alleviating feeding intolerance in preterms.