Does Routine Assessment of Gastric Residuals in Preterm Neonates Influence Time Taken to Reach Full Enteral Feeding? (GRASS)
Gastric Residuals Assessment, Prematurity, Sepsis Newborn
About this trial
This is an interventional supportive care trial for Gastric Residuals Assessment focused on measuring Gastric residuals assessment, Prematurity, Necrotizing Enterocolitis of Newborn, Sepsis Newborn, Nutrition of newborn, feeding tolerance of newborn
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Preterm neonate, born between 26+0 and 30+0 weeks of gestation
- Birth weight below 1500g
- Parental informed consent obtained
Exclusion Criteria:
- Intrauterine growth retardation (birth weight below 5th centile for given gestational age and gender)
- Life-threatening events requiring full resuscitation at the delivery room (severe hypoxia, bleeding), and persistently raised lactate value of more than 5 mmol/l
- Circulatory instability requiring treatment with inotropes
- Highly suspected early onset sepsis with alteration of general clinical state, in particular with worsened peripheral perfusion and circulatory decompensation prior to study begin (during the first 6 hours after admission to NICU)
- Known malformations of gastrointestinal tract, known diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, any other life-limiting serious congenital malformations
Sites / Locations
- Institute for the Care of Mother and ChildRecruiting
- Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
GRASS - Intervention group
Standard Approach group
The intervention group (GRASS) will receive 3 hourly feeds, with no gastric residuals being aspirated. Solely opening of the nasogastric tube once every 6 hours to relieve possible backflow of gastric content will be allowed. Amount of enteral feeds given and increase in dose will be specified in an enteral feeding plan prior to start of the study. Amount of enteral feeds given will increase every six hours with a calculated overall increase of 20 ml/kg of birth weight in the total amount given every 24 hours. Intervention = NO aspiration of gastric residuals
Standard Approach group serving as control group will be treated as per standard approach - participants will be fed 3 hourly and gastric residuals checked via nasogastric tube prior to each feed. Amount of enteral feeds given and increase in dose will be specified in an enteral feeding plan prior to start of the study. Amount of enteral feeds given will increase every six hours with a calculated overall increase of 20 ml/kg of birth weight in the total amount given every 24 hours.