الفهرس 
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Abstract
Attempts to increase feeding volumes in preterm infants toward full feedings are often hampered by episodes of ”feeding intolerance.”
As feeding intolerance in preterm infant is mainly functional: prokinitics drugs have been used with increase frequency inpreterm infants.
Erythromycin is amotilin agonist that exerts its prokinetic effect by stimulating propagative contractile activity in the interdigestive phase.Various degree of success have been reported in older children and adult with gastro esophageal reflux.
The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of oral erythromycin in the prevention and treatment of feeding intolerance in preterm infants. The study included 40 preterm infants admitted immediately or shortly after birth to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Isna Hospital during the period between January 2009 and March 2010.They were all suffering from feeding intolerance due to non-anatomically obstructive gastrointestinal dysmotility.
We have used oral EM ethyl succinate at a dose between the low dose and the antimicrobial dose (40 mg/kg/day for the first 2 days, followed by 16 mg/kg/day for another 5 days).
The studied neonates were subdivided into 2 groups:
The patient group included 20 preterm infant with feeding intolerance. They received oral erythromycin as a medical treatment for feeding intolerance.
The control group included 20 preterm neonates also suffering from feeding intolerance but they not received erythromycin or other prokinitic drugs.
In our study there is statistically significant decrease in time to reach 1/2, 3/4 and full enteral feeding (150 mg /kg /day) comparing to control group In the present study we found that oral erythromycin (EM) was efficacious in improving feeding intolerance in quite immature infants, with no observed side effects during the study period.