Abstract:OBJECTIVE: In view of the different opinions on the effects of non-nutritive sucking (NNS) on premature infants, this paper aims at evaluating the effects of NNS on nutrient and gastrointestinal hormones insulin (INS) and somatostatin (SS) levels in premature infants. METHODS: Thirty-eight healthy, appropriate for gestational age, premature infants who accepted intermittent nasogastric feeding (INGF) were randomly assigned into a NNS group and a non-NNS group according to INGF with and without NNS. They were fed with the same milk formula. Plasma INS and SS levels were detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA). RESULTS: The birth-weight regaining time in the NNS group was significantly shorter than that in the N-NNS group ( 8.8± 3.7 d vs 11.1± 3.0 d; P< 0.05). Within two weeks after feeding, there were no significant differences in the increase of body weight, length and head circumference between the two groups. The time of reaching 418.4 kJ/kg of caloric intake daily by enteral feeding in the NNS group was significantly shorter than that in the N-NNS group ( 12.3± 5.1 d vs 15.7± 5.2 d; P< 0.05); while the feeding time through the nasogastric tube was the same for both groups. There was a lower incidence of gastric residue in the NNS group ( 16.7%) compared with that in the N-NNS group (50%) (P< 0.05). After a week of initial feeding, the plasma INS level in the NNS group was significantly higher than that in the N-NNS group ( 37.1± 11.3 μU/ml vs 29.6± 8.8 μU/ml; P< 0.05). By the end of the second week the plasma INS level in the NNS group was also higher than that in the N-NNS group ( 50.3± 18.4 μU/ml vs 40.0± 9.9 μU/ml; P< 0.05). The plasma SS level in the NNS group was significantly lower than that in the N-NNS group by the end of both the first and second weeks ( 454.6± 136.4 pg/ml vs 595.3± 260.1 pg/ml and 595.6± 172.1 pg/ml vs 727.2± 220.8 pg/ml; both P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: NNS can promote INS secretion and suppress SS secretion, which is of benefit to gastrointestinal development and growth, and to improving the tolerance of enteral feeding.
