Efficacy of oral erythromycin for treatment of feeding intolerance in preterm infants

Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of oral erythromycin (EM) for feeding intolerance in preterm infants Study design In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, preterm infants with feeding intolerance were randomly allocated to a treatment group given EM ethyl succinate 10 mg/kg every 6 hours for 2 days, followed by 4 mg/kg every 6 hours for another 5 days, or to a control group given placebo. The primary outcome was time to full feeding (150 mL/kg/day) after the start of treatment. Results Each group comprised 23 preterm infants, almost all of whom were P P Conclusions Oral EM was effective and safe for treatment of feeding intolerance in preterm infants.