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Nutritive sucking induces age-specific EEG-changes in 0-24 week-old infants
Johannes Lehtonen1, Minna Valkonen-Korhonen2, Stefanos Georgiadis3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Institute, Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland; The National Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
Newborn brain activity shows a soothing response to nutritional sucking, with reduced EEG power and alertness. This effect changes by 24 weeks, indicating developmental changes in infant brain function related to feeding.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Limited understanding of newborn infant brain responses to postnatal nutrition and care.
- Absence of systematic studies comparing nutritional and non-nutritional sucking effects on infant brain activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of nutritional and non-nutritional sucking on infant brain activity (EEG).
- To compare these effects across different infant ages (0, 6, 12, and 24 weeks) and behavioral states.
Main Methods:
- Recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) activity in 40 infants at 0, 6, 12, and 24 weeks.
- EEG data collected during four behavioral stages: hunger, non-nutritional sucking, nutritional sucking, and satiation.
- Quantitative EEG analysis performed on occipital, parietal, and central channels across 1-10Hz frequency bands.
Main Results:
- Newborns (0 weeks) exhibited reduced EEG power and alertness after nutritional sucking, a 'soothing' effect.
- This response diminished by 12 weeks and was absent at 24 weeks.
- At 24 weeks, nutritional sucking induced rhythmic theta activity without significant alertness change; non-nutritional sucking had minimal EEG effects.
Conclusions:
- Nutritional sucking directly influences newborn EEG with a calming effect and alertness decline.
- Infant brain response to nutritional sucking evolves, showing organized theta activity by 24 weeks.
- Findings suggest a developmental link between nursing and infant brain function, impacting affective and cognitive development.
Abstract:
Little is known how the brain of the newborn infant responds to the postnatal nutrition and care. No systematic studies exist in which the effects of nutritional and non-nutritional sucking on the brain activity of the infant were compared. We recorded the EEG activity of 40 infants at the ages of 0,6,12 and 24 weeks in four successive behavioral stages: while the infants were hungry and waiting for sucking, during non-nutritional and nutritional sucking, and during satiation after completed feeding. Quantitative EEG analysis was performed using occipital, parietal and central EEG channels. In the newborn infants, a significant reduction in the EEG power was found after nutritional sucking in the all EEG frequency bands studied (1-10Hz), which was paralleled by a significant behavioral alertness decline. This response decayed during the subsequent neonatal period and was completely absent at the age of 12 weeks. In 24-week-old infants, nutritional sucking was accompanied with an increase in rhythmic theta activity during which no significant alertness change took place. Non-nutritional sucking was connected with minor and non-significant effects on the EEG. We conclude that in newborn infants nutritional sucking has a direct effect on the EEG, which has a soothing character and is connected with an alertness decline. In 24-week-old infants the response to nutritional sucking is of a different type and consists of an organized, rhythmical theta activity in the EEG not directly linked with alertness change. Our findings suggest a developmental relationship between nursing and infant brain function with plausible affective and cognitive implications.
