Abstract
Background: Many neonatal units in the United Kingdom strongly advocate cup feeding rather than bottle feeding of maternal expressed breast milk to preterm babies whose mothers wish to breast feed but who cannot be present for all 'breast feeds'. Cup feeding is believed to increase the chances of successful breast feeding. The lapping and sucking movements babies use at the cup are thought to be more similar to the tongue movements used for breast feeding than are the sucking motions used in bottle feeding. However there is no clear evidence base for this practice. We undertook a pilot randomised controlled trial to study the benefits, if any, of cup feeding preterm babies in this way.
Methods: A randomised controlled trial of cup feeding v bottle feeding as an adjunct to tube feeding of preterm babies < 35 weeks gestation whose mothers had declared a wish to breast feed. Primary outcome was breast feeding at discharge from the neonatal unit.
Results: The table shows that there were no significant differences between the groups for birth weight and gestation. Breast feeding rates were similar in the two groups, as was the age at which the nasogastric tube was withdrawn. These figures count 'breast feeding' as any feed at the breast on each day. There was an insignificant trend towards exclusive breast feeding in the cup fed group compared to the bottle fed group at discharge (10/27 v 4/27). Difficulties in recruitment prevented us reaching the group size (n=94) needed for more statistically valid results.
Conclusion: This pilot study showed no benefit for cup feeding in either breast feeding rates at discharge or later, or in the post-conceptional age at which the naso-gastric tube was withdrawn.
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Gilks, J., Watkinson, M. 268 Does Cup Feeding Help Improve Breast Feeding Rates In Preterm Babies?. Pediatr Res 56, 509 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200409000-00291
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200409000-00291