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Updated: Apr 3, 2026
An Implantable System For Chronic In Vivo Electromyography
Published on: April 21, 2020
Electromyography of muscles involved in feeding premature infants
Camila Dantas Martins1, Renata Maria Moreira Moraes Furlan1, Andréa Rodrigues Motta2
1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BR.
Insights
Electromyography showed similar masseter and temporal muscle activity in premature infants during breast and cup feeding. However, suprahyoid muscle activity was higher during cup feeding, potentially due to increased tongue movement.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal nutrition
- Pediatric feeding
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Premature infants often face feeding challenges.
- Understanding muscle activity during feeding is crucial for infant development.
- Electromyography (EMG) provides insights into muscle function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the electrical activity of masseter, temporal, and suprahyoid muscles in premature infants during breast-feeding versus cup-feeding.
- To investigate potential differences in muscle engagement between these two feeding methods.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study involving 36 preterm infants (mean gestational age 32 weeks).
- Electromyographic assessment of masseter, temporal, and suprahyoid muscles during breast-feeding and cup-feeding.
- Exclusion of infants with neurological, genetic, or congenital oral-motor issues.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in masseter or temporal muscle activity was found between breast-feeding and cup-feeding.
- Suprahyoid muscle activity was significantly higher during cup-feeding (p=0.001).
- Other infant variables (gestational age, weight, etc.) did not correlate with muscle activity during feeding.
Conclusions:
- Breast-feeding and cup-feeding demonstrate a comparable balance in masseter and temporal muscle activation.
- Cup-feeding elicits greater suprahyoid muscle activity in preterm infants.
- This increased suprahyoid activity may be attributed to the compensatory tongue movements required to extract milk from a cup.
Purpose:
To measure and compare the electrical activity of masseter, temporal, and suprahyoid muscles in premature newborn infants during breast-feeding and cup-feeding.
Methods:
This cross-sectional observational study was carried out by the electromyographic assessment of 36 preterm infants, 53% of whom were male, with mean gestational age of 32 weeks and birth weight of 1,719 g, fed via oral route, by full breast-feeding and supplementation of diet, through cup with expressed breast milk, until 15 days after hospital discharge. Children with neurological disorders, genetic syndromes, oral-motor, and/or congenital malformations were excluded. The different methods of feeding and the variables gestational age at birth, corrected gestational age, chronological age, birth weight and size, head circumference, and Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were analyzed and compared by appropriate statistical analysis.
Results:
No difference was observed between breast-feeding and cup-feeding in the analysis of the temporal and masseter muscles. However, higher activity of suprahyoid musculature was observed during cup-feeding (p=0.001). The other variables were not correlated with the electrical activity of the muscles during the different feeding methods.
Conclusion:
There may be a balance between the activity of the temporal and masseter muscles during breast-feeding and cup-feeding. There was higher activity of suprahyoid musculature during cup-feeding. This can be explained by the greater range of tongue movement, as premature infants usually perform tongue protrusion to get the milk from the cup.
