Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment scale: a reliability study

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Pediatric feeding disorders
• Infant oral-motor function

Background:

• Feeding problems are prevalent in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) due to increased survival rates of medically fragile infants.
• Existing descriptions of neonatal oral-motor feeding patterns are insufficient.
• Understanding these patterns is crucial for improving infant nutrition and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a clinical assessment tool for categorizing oral-motor patterns in neonatal feeding.
• To describe disorganized and dysfunctional sucking patterns in neonates.
• To establish interrater reliability for the assessment scale.

Main Methods:

• A clinical assessment tool, the Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale, was devised.
• The scale assesses 13 jaw and 13 tongue movement characteristics.
• The scale was administered to 40 infants to test reliability and refine the tool.

Main Results:

• The Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale categorizes jaw and tongue movements as normal, disorganized, or dysfunctional.
• Interrater reliability was established and the scale was revised.
• The study provided further qualification and description of disorganized and dysfunctional sucking patterns.

Conclusions:

• The Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale offers a standardized method for evaluating neonatal oral-motor feeding skills.
• This tool aids in identifying and understanding specific feeding challenges in neonates.
• Further research can utilize this scale to improve interventions for infant feeding problems.