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Developmental transition from gavage to oral feeding in the preterm infant
1School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Insights
This review synthesizes nursing research on preterm infant feeding transitions. It highlights key areas like skill development and readiness, guiding future studies on optimizing oral feeding for premature babies.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Research
- Developmental Science
- Pediatric Nutrition
Background:
- Preterm infant feeding is a complex nursing research area.
- This review covers nursing research on the transition from gavage to oral feeding since 1990.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize nursing research on preterm infant feeding.
- To identify key research areas and future directions.
Main Methods:
- Integrative literature review of nursing and medical databases.
- Searches focused on journals and researchers in infant feeding.
- Critique of studies from a developmental science perspective.
Main Results:
- Identified four main research areas: infant feeding skill development, transition period descriptions, readiness assessment, and feeding advancement strategies.
- Feeding skill is viewed as an emergent property of interacting systems.
- Highlighted gaps and opportunities for future research.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed to optimize oral feeding for preterm infants.
- A developmental science approach is crucial for understanding feeding skills.
- Nursing research plays a vital role in advancing preterm infant nutrition.
Abstract:
The development of early oral feeding skills in the preterm infant is an active and complex area of nursing research. This integrative review summarizes the accumulated nursing research since 1990 that describes feeding the preterm infant during the transition from gavage to full oral feeding. Literature was identified through searches of databases covering the fields of nursing and medicine and of journals and nurse researchers who publish in this area of study. Four main areas of research were identified: development of infant feeding skills, descriptive studies on the transition period, studies that focus on identifying infant readiness to begin oral feeding, and studies that explore optimal ways to advance oral feeding as the infant moves toward full oral feeding. Research studies were critiqued from a developmental science perspective, which conceptualizes feeding skill as an emergent property of multiple systems, both within and outside the infant, that are interacting and working together to promote optimal functioning. Through this analysis, areas for future research are identified.