Effect of Developmental Care on Comfort, Growth, and Oral Feeding Transition in Preterm Infants

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of kangaroo care combined with maternal voice and fetal positioning on the comfort, growth, and transition to full oral feeding in preterm infants aged 30 to 34 weeks gestation. After ethical approval, eligible infants in the neonatal clinic will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group receiving kangaroo care, maternal voice, and fetal positioning, or a control group receiving only fetal positioning in the incubator. The intervention involves daily one-hour kangaroo care sessions with maternal storytelling, followed by positioning in the lateral fetal posture, continuing at least five days per week until infants achieve full oral feeding. Infant comfort will be assessed regularly using the Neonatal Comfort Behavior Scale before feeding, immediately after kangaroo care, and after fetal positioning. Growth parameters, including weight, length, and head circumference, will be measured and recorded on kangaroo care days. The control group will receive routine fetal positioning without kangaroo care, with identical measurements taken. The study aims to determine whether kangaroo care combined with maternal voice and fetal positioning improves infant comfort, supports growth, and facilitates the transition to full oral feeding in preterm newborns.

NCT Number	NCT07045402
Lead Sponsor	Fenerbahce University
Conditions	Infant, Premature, Kangaroo Mother Care, Comfort, Feeding, Oral Feeding Performance, Facilitated Tucking
Enrollment	68 participants
Start Date	2025-02-10
Primary Completion	2026-02-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-03-10 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-04