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Deglutition apnoea as indicator of maturation of suckle feeding in bottle-fed preterm infants

M B Hanlon1, J H Tripp, R E Ellis

  • 1Department of Child Health, Post Graduate Medical School, University of Exeter, UK.

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|August 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Deglutition apnoea time in preterm infants matures with developmental age, not feeding experience. Prolonged apnoea episodes persist in preterm infants even at term-equivalent age.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal physiology
  • Developmental neuroscience

Background:

  • Infant feeding involves complex coordination of breathing and swallowing.
  • Deglutition apnoea, a brief pause in breathing during swallowing, is a normal physiological event.
  • Maturation of this reflex is crucial for safe and efficient feeding in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the maturation of deglutition apnoea time in preterm infants.
  • To compare maturation patterns between preterm and term infants.
  • To establish normative data for deglutition apnoea during infant development.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 42 bottle-fed preterm infants (28-37 weeks gestation) and 29 term infants.
  • Measured deglutition apnoea times and episodes of multiple-swallow deglutition apnoea.
  • Correlated maturation with developmental age (gestation) and postnatal age (feeding experience).

Main Results:

  • Deglutition apnoea times and multiple-swallow episodes decreased with infant maturation.
  • Maturation was linked to developmental age, not postnatal feeding experience.
  • Prolonged deglutition apnoea (>4 seconds) was more frequent in preterm infants at term-equivalent age.
  • Multiple-swallow apnoeas occurred in term infants, indicating incomplete maturation at birth.

Conclusions:

  • Deglutition apnoea maturation is primarily driven by gestational age.
  • Preterm infants show delayed maturation of deglutition apnoea compared to term infants.
  • Normative data are essential for assessing feeding difficulties and neurological development in infants.

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