Table 1.
Questionnaire template and answers
| Question | Answers | Non‐regional (n = 48) | Regional (n = 19) | P‐value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Median (range) number of cots | 15 (8–32) | 23 (18–40) | ||
| 2. | Median (range) of admissions per year | 250 (250–500) | 480 (220–850) | ||
| 3. | Do you have a written policy on feeding preterm infants? | Yes | 26 (54%) | 7 (37%) | 0.564 |
| No | 21 (44%) | 9 (47%) | |||
| 4. | Does the unit have input from a dietitian on a regular basis? | Yes | 25 (52%) | 12 (63%) | 0.760 |
| No | 12 (25%) | 5 (26%) | |||
| 5. | How do you usually feed a preterm infant <28 weeks initially? | Nasogastric tube | 31 (65%) | 18 (95%) | 0.100 |
| Orogastric tube | 13 (27%) | 8 (42%) | |||
| Transpyloric | 1 (2%) | 0 (0%) | |||
| 6. | When do you usually start feeding on infants <28 weeks’ gestation? | 0–2 days | 17 (35%) | 12 (63%) | 0.176 |
| 3–4 days | 16 (33%) | 4 (21%) | |||
| 4–6 days | 2 (4%) | 1 (5%) | |||
| 7. | Is enteral feeding on your preterm infants bolus or continuous? | Bolus | 41 (85%) | 13 (68%) | 0.067 |
| Continuous | 6 (13%) | 6 (31%) | |||
| 8. | What milk initially does your unit usually feed preterm infants? | Mothers’ own EBM | 41 (85%) | 17 (89%) | 0.105 |
| Banked EBM | 6 (13%) | 4 (21%) | |||
| Preterm formula | 13 (27%) | 1 (5%) | |||
| Term infant formula | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | |||
| Hydrosylate | 1 (2%) | 0 (0%) | |||
| 9. | How quickly do you increase the volume of feeds on average for an infant <28 weeks’ gestation establishing feeding? | 0–10 mL kg−1 day−1 | 14 (29%) | 5 (26%) | 0.334 |
| 11–20 mL kg−1 day−1 | 9 (19%) | 1 (5%) | |||
| 21–30 mL kg−1 day−1 | 14 (29%) | 2 (11%) | |||
| >30 mL kg−1 day−1 | 0 (0%) | 2 (11%) | |||
| 10. | Once feeding is established, what are the final feed volumes given per day? | 100–149 mL kg−1day−1 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0.785 |
| 150–170 mL kg−1 day−1 | 19 (40%) | 9 (47%) | |||
| ≥171 mL kg−1 day−1 | 23 (48%) | 8 (42%) | |||
| 11. | If you change from a preterm formula to a normal infant formula, does this depend on the weight or gestation of the infant? | Weight | 40 (83%) | 13 (68%) | 0.267 |
| Gestation | 6 (13%) | 2 (11%) | 1.000 | ||
| 12. | Does your unit use a breastmilk fortifier? | Yes | 46 (96%) | 16 (84%) | 0.050 |
| No | 2 (4%) | 4 (21%) | |||
| 13. | Which breastmilk fortifier do you commonly use? | SMA Breastmilk Fortifier | 8 (17%) | 2 (11%) | 0.210 |
| Milupa Eoprotein | 7 (15%) | 5 (26%) | |||
| Cow & Gate Nutriprem | 35 (73%) | 7 (37%) | |||
| 14. | Why do you offer this particular milk fortifier? | Contract | 14 (29%) | 3 (16%) | 0.743 |
| Composition | 14 (29%) | 5 (26%) | |||
| Tolerance | 12 (25%) | 2 (11%) | |||
| Other | 8 (17%) | 6 (32%) | |||
| 15. | Do you delay the introduction of breastmilk fortifier until 2 weeks after delivery date? | Yes | 16 (33%) | 1 (5%) | 0.230 |
| No | 24 (50%) | 7 (37%) | |||
| 16. | Do you supplement all preterm infants routinely with vitamins, etc. if they are receiving breastmilk with no fortifier? | Yes | 47 (98%) | 19 (100%) | 1.000 |
| No | 1 (2%) | 0 (0%) | |||
| 17. | Do you supplement all preterm infants routinely if they are receiving formula (either preterm, standard or hydrolysate)? | Yes | 42 (88%) | 17 (89%) | 1.000 |
| No | 6 (12%) | 2 (11%) | |||
| 18. | Do you supplement preterm infants routinely if they are receiving nutrient‐enriched postdischarge formula/or a high‐energy formula? | Yes | 29 (60%) | 12 (63%) | 1.000 |
| No | 12 (25%) | 6 (32%) | |||
| 19. | How do you monitor the preterm infant’s growth/weight status? | Daily weights | 20 (42%) | 13 (68%) | 0.014 |
| Calorie counts (kcal kg−1 day−1) | 6 (13%) | 11 (58%) | <0.001 | ||
| Weekly lengths | 21 (44%) | 6 (32%) | 1.000 | ||
| Weekly head circumferences | 33 (69%) | 15 (79%) | 0.382 | ||
| Growth charts | 37 (77%) | 11 (58%) | 0.075 | ||
| 20. | Does your unit have access to a speech and language therapist? | Yes | 42 (88%) | 17 (89%) | 1.000 |
| No | 6 (12%) | 2 (11%) | |||
| 21. | Do you have a written policy to encourage non‐nutritive sucking, e.g. offering the breast, a bottle, dummy? | Yes | 24 (50%) | 8 (42%) | 1.000 |
| No | 21 (44%) | 9 (47%) | |||
| 22. | What form of non‐nutritive sucking do you encourage? | The breast | 35 (73%) | 14 (74%) | 1.000 |
| A bottle | 6 (13%) | 0 (0%) | 0.173 | ||
| A dummy | 35 (73%) | 13 (68%) | 0.768 | ||
| 23. | Does your unit routinely use the following for feeding preterm infants when they are discharged from hospital? | Breastmilk | 48 (100%) | 19 (100%) | 0.082 |
| Postdischarge formula e.g. | 21 (44%) | 6 (32%) | 0.176 | ||
| Cow & Gate Nutriprem 2 | |||||
| High‐energy formula e.g. SMA | 14 (29%) | 4 (21%) | 0.551 | ||
| High Energy, Nutricia Infatrini | |||||
| Term infant formula | 38 (79%) | 13 (68%) | 0.169 | ||
| 24. | Do you find that reflux is a problem for preterm infants once discharged from SCBU? | Yes | 27 (56%) | 11 (58%) | 1.000 |
| No | 13 (27%) | 6 (32%) | |||
| 25. | If yes, do you use any of the following to help manage the reflux? | Feed thickener additive, e.g. Carobel, Nestergel | 21 (44%) | 9 (47%) | 1.000 |
| Thickened term formula, e.g. Enfamil AR | 16 (33%) | 4 (21%) | 0.255 | ||
| Medication, e.g. Gaviscon | 30 (63%) | 13 (68%) | 1.000 | ||
| 26. | When do you advise mothers to start weaning their preterm infants? | 0–3 months | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0.587 |
| 4–6 months | 41 (85%) | 16 (84%) | |||
| 7–9 months | 2 (4%) | 0 (0%) | |||
| 27. | What would you recommend mothers to wean their preterm infants onto initially? | Pure baby rice | 43 (90%) | 16 (84%) | 0.678 |
| Vegetable purees | 8 (17%) | 3 (16%) | 1.000 | ||
| Fruit purees | 5 (10%) | 2 (11%) | 1.000 |
EBM, expressed breastmilk; SCBU, Special Care Baby Unit.