[tri-med] FYI - Development of sucking behavior in infants who have not been fed for 2 months after birth

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it may be of interest and is from a reliable source. As always, check the
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http://www.pediatriclinx.com/thearts.cfm?readurl=&artid=212764&specid=6

Pediatrics International 43 (3), 251-255
© Japan Pediatric Society

Development of sucking behavior in infants who have not been fed for 2 months 
after birth
Katsumi Mizuno and Aki Ueda

Department of Neonatology, Chiba Children Hospital, Chiba, Japan

AbstractBackground: Term infants are able to develop sucking behavior after 
birth. However, the requirements for this development
have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated 
whether an oral-feed practice is necessary for the
development of sucking behavior and whether non-nutritive sucking could support 
the development of this behavior while the infants
cannot be fed.

Methods: Subjects of the present study were four term or near-term infants who 
had never been fed orally for approximately 2 months
after birth because of gastrointestinal problems. Sucking pressure was measured 
with a silicone tube inserted into an artificial
nipple and sucking efficiency was calculated during an entire feeding.

Results: Sucking pressure, frequency and duration at the first time oral feed 
corresponded to values obtained for normal-term
infants at their first oral feed. Although infants who had not received oral 
feeding demonstrated poor sucking abilities initially,
sucking performance improved with practice. Sucking parameters measured 1 month 
since oral feeding was initiated in these infants
corresponded to values obtained for normal-term infants at 1 month of age. 
Although infants who had not received oral feeding had
often sucked a pacifier for sedation, this non-nutritive sucking did not result 
in the development of sucking behavior.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that an oral feeding practice is 
necessary for the development of sucking behavior and that
non-nutritive sucking does not affect the development of sucking.

Key wordsoral feed; sucking behavior; sucking pressure


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CorrespondenceDr Katsumi Mizuno Department of Neonatology, Chiba Children 
Hospital, 579-1 Heta-cho, Midori-ku, Chiba city, Chiba,
Japan. Email: katsuorobi@xxxxxxx


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