Positive feeding for preterm babies
Official title: Positive Feeding of the Preterm Infant - a Feasibility Study of a Developmental Supportive Feeding Strategy in the NICU
Run by Oslo Metropolitan University · NCT06189352 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will try a cue-based, parent-led feeding approach for preterm infants in the NICU to see if it can be put into practice and is acceptable to parents and staff.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 15 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Oslo Metropolitan University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Drammen) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 14, 2024 |
| Main results expected | September 2025 |
| Study ends | May 2026 |
| Registry record updated | August 11, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06189352 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Preterm infants who are at or beyond 28 weeks gestational age (postmenstrual age ≥28 weeks after transfer) whose parents can consent and speak Norwegian or English are eligible.
✕Probably not a fit
Infants with diagnoses or malformations that make eating difficult, triplets or higher-order multiples, or families unable to participate due to language barriers or special follow-up needs are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a feasibility study of a feeding strategy (PoP) for preterm infants conducted in a level 3a neonatal intensive care unit. Parents are recruited before or shortly after birth and begin the intervention once they provide written consent for themselves and their infant. The intervention combines parental counseling with a structured, cue-based infant feeding protocol developed using the MRC framework for complex interventions. The primary outcomes are whether the protocol can be implemented in this NICU setting and whether it is acceptable to parents and healthcare personnel.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could help tailor feeding to an infant's developmental cues, potentially improving feeding success and reducing stress for infants and families.
How similar studies have gone: Cue-based and parent-led feeding approaches have shown promising results in prior studies for improving feeding outcomes in preterm infants, but this specific PoP protocol is novel and is being tested for feasibility.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * gestational age of 28 weeks * post menstrual age of 28 weeks after transition from regional hospital Exclusion Criteria: * diagnoses or malformations that makes eating difficult * triplets or more * parents not speaking/understanding Norwegian or English * parents with challenges or special needs for follow up
Where it's running
-
Vestre Viken Hospital Trust
Drammen, Norway Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Nina M Kyno, PhD — Oslo Metropolitan University
- Study coordinator: Nina M Kyno, PhD
- Email: ninam@oslomet.no
- Phone: +4790561929
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.