The results of the present study show that non-nutritive
sucking and oral stimulation increase the probability of preterms
being breastfed upon discharge, which can also be
partly explained by the shorter admission time of the experimental
group. A previous publication of the same study
showed that the experimental group was able to receive
breastfeeding 8.2 days earlier than the control group.5 Other
studies, which used only non-nutritive sucking, have also
shown similar results.1,2
Gestational age at birth was similar for both groups;
despite birth weight at these conditions being slightly higher
for the experimental group, there were no significant statistical
differences between the two. Other variables that might
have been influenced by the two and, therefore, interfere with
admission time, did not present differences between groups
and were published in a previous article (weight loss percentage,
time to begin enteral feeding and to reach full enteral
feeding5
). Regarding support for mothers, double-blinding the
study allowed that it be the same for both groups (psychological
support, guidelines for massage and pumping, financial
support for returning to the hospital after discharge, opportunity
for readmission during transition from tube to sucking,
guidelines regarding how to hold the baby and what position
to adopt, among others)