Aims: This study aims to investigate the effects of semi-elevated right lateral and semi-elevated supine positions on feeding tolerance, stress severity and pain levels among premature infants during tube feeding.
Methods: This was a randomized cross-over clinical trial. A total of 34 premature infants who were fed via orogastric tube were included in this study. Feeding tolerance was assessed by abdominal circumference measurements and checking gastric residuals; this assessment was single blinded. Physiological values were evaluated before, during and after tube feeding. The stress severity and pain levels of the infants were also evaluated independently by the researchers before, during and after tube feeding. A significance level of .05 was accepted for all statistical analyses.
Results: There were no difference between infants' vital signs, stress and pain scores according to feeding positions before tube feeding (p > .05). By feeding positions, a statistically significant difference was found between infants' vital signs, abdominal circumference and gastric residuals of infants during tube feeding. Pain and stress levels of infants were found to be significantly higher in the semi-elevated supine position during tube feeding (p < .05).
Conclusions: Use of the semi-elevated right lateral position during tube feeding was found to have a more helpful effect in reducing stress and pain among premature infants when compared with the use of the semi-elevated supine position.
Keywords: nursing care; pain; position; preterm infant; stress; tube feeding.
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