The effect of skin-to-skin care on cerebral oxygenation during nasogastric feeding of preterm infants

Aim: To describe cerebral oxygenation during gavage feeding of preterm infants during incubator and skin-to-skin care. Methods: Further analysis of data from two crossover studies comparing cerebral oxygenation, heart rate and oxygen saturation during skin-to-skin care with incubator care. Data were analysed in three epochs; 10 minutes prefeed, during-feed and 10 minutes postfeed. Measurements from infants fed during incubator care were compared with those obtained during skin-to-skin care. Results: In 39 infants [median (IQR) 27.8 (26.1-30.0) weeks' gestation], there was no difference in cerebral oxygenation between pre-, during- and postfeed. Heart rate increased by three beats per minute postfeed compared with during-feed. Twenty infants received two gavage feeds, one feed in the incubator and another during skin-to-skin care. There was no difference in cerebral oxygenation and heart rate; peripheral oxygen saturation decreased by 3% during feeding whilst skin-to-skin care compared with feeding in the incubator. Conclusion: Cerebral oxygenation remained stable before, during and after gavage feeding in an incubator and during skin-to-skin care. The small decrease in oxygen saturation whilst receiving gavage feeding during skin-to-skin care is unlikely to be clinically important, providing reassurance that preterm infants maintain physiological stability during skin-to-skin care.