Exploring the development of a home nasogastric feeding program to facilitate early discharge of infants from the neonatal intensive care unit

Achieving full oral feeding and appropriate growth are essential for discharge to home with preterm infants; however, attaining these goals can prolong discharge timing, increase resource utilization, and impose significant stress on families. Although some NICUs around the world have demonstrated success in home nasogastric (NG) feeding programs, these programs are absent in Canada due to the lack of specialized nutritional and feeding support in neonatal follow-up clinics. Within Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH), the neonatal unit offers post-discharge nutritional support through in-house dietitians which makes implementing a home NG feeding program in Windsor-Essex possible. Before implementing this program locally, it is essential to understand the short and long-term impacts on families, thus, we plan to review the readmission rates and emergency room visits of infants discharged with a nasogastric tube from WRH between January 2015 and December 2021. This study will also assess discharge timing and nasogastric feeding duration and its impact on infant growth and family’s quality of life. This research will provide insights into the feasibility of implementing a home NG feeding program in Windsor-Essex, leading to potential reduced readmissions and decreased utilization of hospital resources, while also enhancing the care for infants and their families.