Stochastic vibration and early weight growth in opioid-exposed newborns: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether stochastic vibrotactile stimulation (SVS) improved early weight trajectories in hospitalized term newborns with prenatal opioid exposure.

STUDY

DESIGN

This prospective, two-site randomized controlled trial compared days to lowest weight following birthweight [Nadir], maximal percent weight loss from birthweight [MaxLoss], days to return to birthweight [RtB], and weekly percent weight change from birth through the first month of life between infants who received treatment as usual (TAU) and infants who received SVS throughout hospitalization.

RESULTS

Among 181 term newborns [mean gestational age 39.0 ± 1.2weeks), no differences were observed between TAU (n = 87) and SVS (n = 94) for Nadir, MaxLoss, or RtB. Among symptomatic infants treated with morphine, mean weight gain at four weeks was significantly greater for SVS (29.88 ± 1.02%) than TAU (18.15 ± 7.31%; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Among morphine-treated infants, the SVS cohort had greater early weight growth than the TAU cohort. Weight growth via SVS has implications for reduced morbidities and improved developmental outcomes in at-risk opioid-exposed newborns.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: June 6, 2016, clinicaltrials.gov NCT02801331 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02801331 ).