Effects of Oral Stimulation Performed by Parents to Improve Sucking in Neonates Hospitalized in the NICU

This randomized clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral stimulation program to improve sucking in preterm neonates hospitalized in the NICU. The study compares two groups: one receiving the intervention from a physiotherapist and the other from trained parents. The stimulation program includes 4 extraoral and 4 intraoral exercises applied once daily for 14 consecutive days. The primary outcome is improvement in the POFRAS score. Secondary outcomes include the time to exclusive oral feeding, nasogastric tube withdrawal, weight at discharge, hospital stay duration, and parental adherence. This study addresses the potential role of parent participation in neonatal rehabilitation in public hospitals with limited human resources.

NCT Number	NCT07060573
Lead Sponsor	Hospital Civil de Guadalajara
Conditions	Premature Infant, Sucking Behavior
Enrollment	32 participants
Start Date	2025-07-18
Primary Completion	2027-02 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-02 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-19