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Am J Perinatol 2019; 36(03): 268-276
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1667289
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Non-Nutritive Sucking in the Preterm Infant

Roberta Pineda
1   Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
2   Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
,
Kelsey Dewey
1   Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
,
Amy Jacobsen
1   Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
,
Joan Smith
3   Department of Quality, Safety, and Practice Excellence, St. Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri
› Author Affiliations Funding This project was supported by NIH R24 (5R24HD065688-05), awarded to the Boston Rehabilitation Outcomes Center, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U54 HD087011 to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University.
Further Information

Publication History

25 April 2018

15 June 2018

Publication Date:
06 August 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Objective To identify the progression of non-nutritive sucking (NNS) across postmenstrual age (PMA) and to investigate the relationship of NNS with medical and social factors and oral feeding.

Study Design Fifty preterm infants born at ≤32 weeks gestation had NNS assessed weekly starting at 32 weeks PMA with the NTrainer System. Oral feeding was assessed at 38 weeks PMA.

Results There were increases in NNS bursts per minute (p = 0.005), NNS per minute (p < 0.0001), NNS per burst (p < 0.001), and peak pressure (p = 0.0003) with advancing PMA. Level of immaturity and medical complications were related to NNS measures (p < 0.05). NNS measures were not related to Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale scores. Smaller weekly change in NNS peak pressure (p = 0.03; β = –1.4) was related to feeding success at 38 weeks PMA.

Conclusion Infants demonstrated NNS early in gestation. Variability in NNS scores could reflect medical complications and immaturity. More stable sucking pressure across time was related to feeding success at 38 weeks PMA.

Keywords

non-nutritive sucking - preterm - medical factors - oral feeding
 

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