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Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development
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Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development

Published on: April 19, 2024

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Changes in non-nutritive suck between 3 and 12 months

Alaina Martens1, Morgan Hines1, Emily Zimmerman1

  • 1Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Early Human Development
|August 14, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Infant non-nutritive suck (NNS) patterns change significantly between 3 and 12 months, with decreased duration and bursts but increased amplitude. Understanding these developmental changes in NNS is crucial for assessing infant feeding.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric feeding development
  • Infant oral motor skills

Background:

  • Non-nutritive suck (NNS) is integral to infant oral feeding.
  • Limited research exists on NNS development during the first year of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify changes in infant non-nutritive suck patterns from 3 to 12 months of age.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-six full-term infants participated.
  • A custom research pacifier was used for quantitative analysis of suck patterns.
  • The best 2-minute suck samples were analyzed for NNS parameters.

Main Results:

  • NNS duration, bursts, cycles/burst, and cycle count significantly decreased from 3 to 12 months.
  • NNS amplitude significantly increased during the same period.
  • NNS frequency showed no significant changes; median amplitude increased from 14.05 to 19.75 cmH2O.

Conclusions:

  • Infant NNS patterns undergo significant maturation in the first year.
  • Healthcare professionals need this knowledge for accurate NNS assessment and identification of feeding delays.
Abstract

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