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Feeding skill milestones of preterm infants born with extremely low birth weight (ELBW)
Helena Törölä1, Matti Lehtihalmes, Anneli Yliherva
1Department of Paediatrics and Adolescence, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box: 23 Children and Women, FI-90029 OYS, Oulu, Finland. helena.torola@oulu.fi
Insights
Preterm infants’ feeding development mirrors full-term infants, but they experience more feeding challenges. Early oral motor skills in preterm infants do not predict later feeding success, though they learn skills at similar corrected ages.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Pediatric Nutrition
Background:
- Preterm infants often face feeding challenges impacting growth and development.
- Understanding feeding development differences is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the feeding development of preterm infants with extremely low birth weight to that of healthy full-term infants.
Main Methods:
- Intensive follow-up study involving 19 preterm and 11 full-term infants.
- Feeding situations analyzed using the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS) and an oral motor patterns checklist.
- Video recorded sessions used for detailed oral motor pattern analysis.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants often exhibited disorganized sucking patterns compared to full-term infants.
- While learning most feeding skills at similar corrected ages, preterm infants showed a wider age range for skill acquisition.
- Preterm infants experienced more qualitative feeding issues, including prolonged, messy feeding and sensitivity to food textures.
Conclusions:
- Oral motor skills in feeding development are similar between preterm and full-term infants.
- Qualitative feeding problems in preterm infants pose risks for early interaction and communication.
- Early identification and support for feeding difficulties in preterm infants are essential.
Aim:
To compare the feeding development of preterm infants with that of full-term infants.
Participants:
Nineteen preterm infants with extremely low birth weight, and 11 healthy full-term infants.
Methods:
Intensive follow-up study. Feeding situations were analyzed by NOMAS (Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale) and by an oral motor patterns checklist based on video recorded sessions.
Results:
Most of the preterm infants showed a disorganized sucking pattern and most of the full-term infants a normal sucking pattern, as long as suckling was present. However, the early suckling pattern did not predict the schedule of later feeding development. Preterm infants seemed to learn the various feeding skills at the same corrected ages as full-term infants, with the exception of munching, which they learned earlier than the full-term infants. However, the age range for gaining these skills was wider for the preterm infants. Preterm infants also seemed to have feeding problems more often than full-term infants when qualitative features of feeding were considered. Feeding was prolonged and messy, and the preterm infants were sensitive to different qualities of food.
Conclusion:
Feeding development of preterm and full-term infants is similar except for suckling, when only oral motor skills are concerned. When the qualitative characteristics of feeding are taken into account, the preterm infants suffer from feeding problems that create a risk for early interaction and communication.
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