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Characterization of the developmental stages of sucking in preterm infants during bottle feeding

C Lau1, R Alagugurusamy, R J Schanler

  • 1Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Feeding Disorders Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. clau@bcm.tmc.edu

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|August 16, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Pediatric nutrition
  • Oral motor function

Background:

  • Preterm infants often struggle with oral feeding due to immature sucking skills.
  • The developmental trajectory of sucking in preterm infants remains poorly understood.
  • Effective oral feeding is crucial for the growth and development of preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between sucking skill development and bottle-feeding performance in preterm infants.
  • To establish a developmental scale for assessing sucking maturation in preterm infants.
  • To provide insights for managing oral feeding challenges in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal assessment of oral-motor skills using a specialized nipple/bottle system.
  • Monitoring of suction and expression/compression components of sucking.
  • Development and application of a five-stage sucking maturation scale.

Main Results:

  • Positive correlations were found between sucking stage, postmenstrual age, feeding outcomes (overall and rate of transfer), and daily oral feeding volume.
  • Improved overall transfer and rate of transfer were associated with more mature sucking stages.
  • The five-stage sucking scale effectively characterized infant sucking development.

Conclusions:

  • Oral feeding performance in preterm infants significantly improves with the maturation of sucking skills.
  • The proposed five-point sucking scale can serve as a valuable tool for assessing sucking development in preterm infants.
  • Understanding sucking maturation facilitates optimized management of oral feeding for preterm infants.

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