Clinical Research Directory

Rectal Administration of Mother's Own Milk and Growth in Preterm Infants

This retrospective observational cohort study evaluated whether rectal administration of mother's own milk was associated with feeding progression and growth in preterm infants. The study included 50 infants born between 27+0 and 32+6 weeks of gestation at a neonatal intensive care unit in Baku, Azerbaijan, between January 2023 and January 2026. All infants had delayed meconium passage beyond 48 hours after birth. Of the 50 infants, 29 received rectal administration of mother's own milk as part of clinical care, while 21 did not receive this intervention. Treatment was not randomly assigned. The primary outcome was time to full enteral feeding. Secondary outcomes included time to full oral feeding, hospital stay, and weight, length, and head circumference at 36 and 40 weeks' postmenstrual age. The study aimed to explore whether this clinical practice was associated with improved feeding and growth outcomes and to provide preliminary evidence for future clinical trials.