This study investigates the methods normally used to effect the transition from tube-feeding to full breastfeeding in preterm infants. The information was gathered from papers catalogued in the Lilacs, Medline, and SciElo databases, between 1994 and 2007. Four articles were selected and only randomized studies considered (three of them, being controlled). The literature describes a number of methods used to effect the transition from tube-feeding to full breastfeeding: bottle-feeding and cup-feeding. The studies demonstrate that the babies who used cup-feeding obtained better results in relation to physiological stability (cardiac frequency and oxygen saturation) and to the impact on full breastfeeding on being discharged from hospital. Given the scarcity of studies in the literature and the methodological problems found, it is clear that more studies need to be carried out to compare the alternative methods used for the preterm feeding plan.
Premature; Feeding methods; Bottle feeding; Cup feeding
