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Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Protocol - Intervention

Re‐feeding versus discarding gastric residuals to improve growth in preterm infants

This is not the most recent version

Abstract

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows:

To assess the efficacy and safety of re‐feeding compared to discarding gastric residuals to improve growth in preterm infants. The allocation should have been started in the first week of life and should have been continued at least until the baby reaches full enteral feeds. The investigator could choose to discard the gastric residual in the re‐feeding group, if the gastric residual quality is not satisfactory. However, the criteria for discarding gastric residual should have been pre‐defined.

We will undertake subgroup analysis based on the gestational age ( 27 weeks, 28 weeks to 31 weeks, ≥ 32 weeks), birth weight (< 1000 g, 1000 g to 1499 g, ≥ 1500 g), type of milk (human milk or formula milk), quality of the gastric residual (fresh milk, curded milk or bile‐stained gastric residual), the volume of gastric residual replaced (total volume, 50% of the volume, volume of the next feed or pre‐specified volume irrespective of the volume of the aspirate, e.g. 2 mL, 3 mL, etc.), and whether the volume of gastric residual that is re‐fed is included in or excluded from the volume of the next feed (Subgroup analysis and investigation of heterogeneity).