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Maturation of oral feeding skills in preterm infants

N Amaizu1, Rj Shulman, Rj Schanler

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|December 7, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Oral feeding skills in preterm infants develop at different rates, with maturation depending on gestational age, not postmenstrual age. This impacts the coordination of sucking, swallowing, and respiration.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal physiology
  • Developmental pediatrics

Background:

  • Safe and successful oral feeding depends on the coordinated maturation of sucking, swallowing, and respiration.
  • Oral feeding difficulties in preterm infants may arise from asynchronous development of the involved musculatures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the temporal development of oral feeding skills in preterm infants.
  • To determine if differences in skill maturation correlate with gestational age (GA) or postmenstrual age (PMA).

Main Methods:

  • Monitored feeding skills in 16 preterm infants (26-29 weeks GA) as markers of oral feeding musculature maturation.
  • Assessed metrics including milk intake rate, lip seal, sucking patterns, suction amplitude, and swallow-respiration coordination.
  • Used coefficients of variation (COV) to quantify functional stability and compare maturation between different GA groups.

Main Results:

  • Feeding efficiency and specific skills improved over time, while others remained unchanged or decreased.
  • Differences in COV between infants born at 26/27 weeks GA and 28/29 weeks GA indicated distinct maturation trajectories for certain skills.
  • Despite similar overall oral feeding outcomes at comparable PMA, underlying skill maturation varied by GA.

Conclusions:

  • Sucking, swallowing, and respiration components mature asynchronously in preterm infants.
  • Functional stability differences highlight that maturation is primarily influenced by gestational age, not postmenstrual age.
  • Understanding these differential maturation rates is crucial for addressing oral feeding challenges in preterm neonates.
Abstract

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