The Effects of Oral Motor Stimulation on Feeding Behaviors of Infants Born With Univentricle Anatomy

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effects of oral motor stimulation on infants born with complex univentricle anatomy who required surgery shortly after birth. A quasi-experimental group design was used to compare 18 infants receiving an oral motor stimulation program with 10 infants who did not receive any oral motor intervention. Infants in the treatment group received the oral motor treatment prior to cardiac surgery and immediately following surgery, one time a day, 6 days a week. Outcomes data were collected for length of time to reach full bottle-feeds and length of hospital stay. A statistically significant difference was seen in the overall length of hospital stay between the two groups (p = .04). Infants in the experimental group were hospitalized for a mean of 28.6 days and infants in the comparison group for a mean of 35.3 days. Infants in the treatment group achieved full bottle-feeds 2 days earlier than infants in the comparison group, although this was not statistically significant. There is positive support for the use of oral motor stimulation for infants born with univentricle anatomy, but further study is needed to determine the long-lasting effects of this intervention.