The Effect of Oral Support on Sucking Efficiency in Preterm Infants

Einarsson-Backes, Lynn M.; Deitz, Jean; Price, Robert G.; Glass, Robin P.; Hays, Ross M.

doi:10.5014/ajot.48.6.490

Cited by 53 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Feeders have increased the preterm infant's volume of intake by stabilizing the jaw and providing cheek support. 22 Such interventions have decreased the interval between sucking bursts. 60 These actions obligate the infant to respond by increasing suction pressure, however, resulting in a faster flow and larger bolus of fluid.…”

Section: Feeding Descriptorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include the size and speed of flow of the fluid bolus, 18-20 the impact of nasogastric tubes in place during feeding, 21 and the type of feeding support provided by the caregiver. [22][23][24][25][26] During its emergent phase, motor skill expression varies considerably. 27 Early feeding skills can vary from feeding to feeding and even across a given feeding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Early Feeding Skills Assessment for Preterm Infants

Thoyre

Shaker²,

Pridham³

2005

Neonatal Network

203

143

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Preterm infants develop the skills necessary to begin oral feeding as their health stabilizes and as they reach a postconceptional age that supports coordination of breathing and swallowing with oralmotor functioning. The time from initiation of oral feeding to full oral feedings (with adequate intake for growth and maintenance of physiologic stability) can vary from days to months for the preterm infant. The approach to feeding the infant during this transition period must be developmentally supportive and tailored to meet the needs of the individual. To accomplish this, caregivers-notably nurses and parents-need to communicate about the specific skills that the infant has gained, about skills that are emerging, and about skills that the infant has not yet developed. The Early Feeding Skills (EFS) Assessment is a checklist for assessing infant readiness for and tolerance of feeding and for profiling the infant's developmental stage regarding specific feeding skills: the abilities to remain engaged in feeding, organize oral-motor functioning, coordinate swallowing with breathing, and maintain physiologic stability. This article introduces the EFS.Neonatal clinicians, clinicians who work with families during the early postdischarge period, and parents of preterm infants are in an important position to observe and support the development of an emergent motor skill: oral feeding. Oral feeding skills have commonly been conceptualized by health care providers as an infant's ability to organize and coordinate oralmotor functions to efficiently consume enough calories for growth. Early feeding skills are much more complex than this, however. They also involve the infant's ability to (1) engage and remain engaged in a physiologically and behaviorally challenging task, (2) organize oralmotor movements so as to have long-term functional benefits, (3) coordinate breathing with swallowing to avoid prolonged apnea or aspiration of fluids, and (4) regulate the depth and frequency of breathing to maintain physiologic stability.Motor skill development corresponds to changes in an infant's brain, body, and experience. 1 According to research, two factors affect progression in ability to feed orally: the infant's state of health 2-6 and oral feeding experience. [7][8][9][10][11] According to other research, neuromaturation of the following contributes to an individual infant's skill in feeding: the ability to regulate oxygen, 11,12 development of alertness, 13-15 and development of sucking strength and organization of the sucking pattern. 16,17 External influences can also change the nature of the task. These include the size and speed of flow of the fluid bolus, 18-20 the impact of nasogastric tubes in place during feeding, 21 and the type of feeding support provided by the caregiver. [22][23][24][25][26] During its emergent phase, motor skill expression varies considerably. 27 Early feeding skills can vary from feeding to feeding and even across a given feeding. Some infants adapt and improve in skill as the feeding pro...

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Section: Feeding Descriptorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Early Feeding Skills Assessment for Preterm Infants

Thoyre

Shaker²,

Pridham³

2005

Neonatal Network

203

143

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Einarsson-Backes et al (1994) investigated the effect of cheek and jaw support on the first 2 min of formula intake of 13 preterm infants between 34 and 40 wk postconceptional age (PCA) identified by nursing staff as poor feeders. The infants had significantly greater formula intake when they were given cheek and jaw support during feeding than when fed without support.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Cheek and Jaw Support to Improve Feeding Performance of Preterm Infants

Hwang

Lin

Coster

et al. 2010

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy

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OBJECTIVE. We examined the effects of cheek and jaw support on the feeding ability of inefficient feeders born prematurely.METHOD. Twenty preterm infants served as their own controls. Each infant received either intervention (feeding with oral support) or control (feeding without oral support) for 2 consecutive feedings per day on 2 consecutive days.RESULTS. Infants displayed a greater intake rate during the intervention feedings, both during the first 5 min (p 5 .046) and throughout the entire feeding (p 5 .023). The percentage of leakage during the first 5-min feeding was smaller in the intervention condition than in the control condition (p 5 .040). No significant differences were found between the two conditions in the sucking, physiological, and alertness variables.CONCLUSION. Findings confirm oral support as a safe and effective strategy to improve the feeding performance of preterm infants who are poor feeders.

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“…Immature oral reflexes, high stress levels, reduced oral sensory input, and decreased opportunity to suck as a result of non-oral feedings can all contribute to oral feeding inefficiencies and delayed oral motor development (Anderson, 1986;Case-Smith, 1988;Einarsson-Backes, Deitz, Price, Glass, & Hays, 1994;Hunter et al). These experiences can further lead to poor growth and longer hospital stays, as an infant's ability to fully feed by bottle and/or breast is a common criterion necessary for discharge to home (Shaker, 1999).…”

Section: Feeding Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%