The Effects of Positions on the Gastric Residual Volume of Premature Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: To produce a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effects of positions given to premature infants after feeding on their gastric residual volume measured before the next feeding. Material and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, and the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed via the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument. Ten databases were comprehensively scanned. The inclusion criteria were set according to the PICOS format, and the data were analyzed by 2 independent researchers. The Stata 16 program was used to analyze the data. Hedge’s g-effect size, I2 statistics, random effects models, and fixed effects models were used during the study. The random effects model, calculated using the DerSimonian Laird method, was considered. Results: A total of 791 articles met the inclusion criteria. After the assessment of methodological quality, 4 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the positioning given after feeding did not significantly affect the residual gastric volume measured before the next feeding. Conclusion: Based on the limited and heterogeneous evidence available, this meta-analysis does not show a statistically significant effect of supine, prone, right or left lateral positioning on the gastric residual volume measured before feeding.