Effect of oromotor stimulation on early sucking behavior and later development in preterm newborns

Preterm infants (<34 weeks) often face feeding difficulties due to immature oromotor coordination. This randomized controlled trial of 150 preterm infants compared structured OMS, unstructured stimulation and standard care. Standard care led to earlier full oral feeding (8.84 ± 2.37 days), greater weight gain (40.04 ± 6.92%) and shorter hospital stay (24.16 ± 4.52 days) (p < 0.001). Developmental scores at 6 months were significantly higher with standard care than with OMS interventions. Standard care proved more effective than OMS in enhancing feeding, growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.