Study note

Maturation of feeding skills in low-birth-weight infants

THE CONTEXT

Effective breastfeeding depends on sucking, swallowing, and their coordination with breathing; these abilities mature with gestation.

•

Robust sucking may not be present until 32–34 weeks of gestation.

•

Coordination between sucking, swallowing, and breathing may not mature until 34 weeks and fully matures by 37–38 weeks.

•

The initial feeding method should be individualized according to gestation or birth weight and the infant's feeding skills.

•

Stable low-birth-weight infants should be offered direct breastfeeding regardless of their initial feeding method.

•

This practice, described as non-nutritive sucking, helps smaller infants' feeding skills mature faster and improves maternal lactation.

NEETx

Learn. Practise. Remember.