Abstract:Objective To investigate the effects of feeding protocols on the efficacy and complications of indomethacin treatment for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants.Methods A total of 120 PDA premature infant with gestational age less than 37 weeks who were treated with indomethacin in the Department of Neonatology of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2023 to April 2024 were selected. They were divided into the low-milk feeding group (60 cases) and high-milk feeding group (60 cases) according to the random number table method. The therapeutic effects for PDA after treatment, the changes of the pulmonary artery diameter before and after treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions and mortality during treatment, and the changes of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in blood and urine of children before and after treatment were observed.Results There was no statistically significant difference when comparing the mortality between the low-milk feeding group and the high-milk feeding group (P > 0.05). The cumulative treatment effects at the end of the first course, at the end of the second course and after the second course of treatments showed no difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Comparison of pulmonary artery diameter before treatment, after one course of treatment and after two courses of treatment via repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that it was different among the time points (F = 9.374, P < 0.05) and between the groups (F = 9.851, P < 0.05), and that the change trend of pulmonary artery diameter was different between the two groups (F = 9.139, P < 0.05). Comparison of blood and urine levels of PGE2 before treatment, after one course of treatment and after two courses of treatment via repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that they were different among the time points (F = 9.469 and 8.963, both P < 0.05) and between the two groups (F = 9.374 and 9.754, both P < 0.05), and that the change trends of them were different between the two groups (F = 10.181 and 9.276, both P < 0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions was higher in the high-milk feeding group than in the low-milk feeding group (P < 0.05).Conclusions Feeding protocols have no effect on the effectiveness of indomethacin in the treatment of preterm infants with PDA, but low-milk feeding could reduce the incidence of adverse reactions.