Desaturation events during oral feedings with and without a nasogastric tube in very low birth weight infants

Objective mine the desaturation events with the presence and absence of a nasogastric tube during an entire oral feeding in 20 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. ctive, quasi-experimental, random assignment. g tern, university-affiliated, tertiary neonatal medical cener. ts VLBW infants without severe neurologic problems or physical anomalies. On the day of the study, postnatal days were 17 to 82 days (49±18.91). e Measures ration events. ention infants were observed during oral feedings, once with a nasogastric tube and once without, at 9 am and 3 pm feedings within 1 day, decided in random order. s n infants experienced 166 desaturation events (<90%), 83 desaturation events without the nasogastric tube, and 83 events with the nasogastric tube present. Infants for whom desaturation events developed had a longer transition period from tube feedings to oral feedings (p<0.05), and started feedings with lower oxygen saturation (p<0.05). Nearly all desaturation events (97%) occurred with breathing pauses (11.32±6.67 seconds), a change in heart rate, and an increase in end-tidal CO2. The presence of a nasogastric tube increased the duration of desaturation by an average of 8 seconds (p<0.05). sion sʹ oxygen saturation needs to be monitored with feedings, and feedings may need to be started with a baseline lowest saturation of 95% or higher, monitored with breathing and heart rate to prevent desaturation.