Early Feeding Skills Assessment in Preterm Infants

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine oral feeding skill attainment among four different preterm infant groups within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) using the Early Feeding Skills (EFS) assessment checklist. The newborn groups included preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) or chronic lung disease (CLD), preterm infants of diabetic mothers (IDM), and healthy preterm controls (HI), randomized to a pacifier (SHAM) or pulsatile orocutaneous (PULSED) condition during gavage feeds. Differences in suck-swallow-breathe patterns revealed by the EFS assessment tool were analyzed using mixed modeling and linear regression techniques as a function of orosensory condition. Significant changes in EFS score, adjusted for gestational age and birthweight, were found for EFS days and preterm group. No treatment effect was observed in the EFS score. In general, sicker preterm infants (e.g., RDS, CLD) manifest lower EFS scores as a function of post-menstrual age.