Predictors of nutritive sucking in preterm infants. |
| |
Authors: | R H Pickler A M Best B A Reyna G Gutcher P A Wetzel |
| |
Affiliation: | School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA. rpickler@vcu.edu |
| |
Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this analysis were to determine how select characteristics of nutritive sucking (number of sucks, sucks/burst, and sucks/minute) change over time and to examine the effect of select factors (morbidity, maturity, prefeeding behavior state, and feeding experience) on those changes. STUDY DESIGN: A longitudinal, non-experimental study was conducted in a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit using a convenience sample of 88 preterm infants. Statistical analyses were performed using a repeated-measures mixed-model in SAS. RESULTS: Sucking activity (number of sucks, sucks/burst, and sucks/minute) was predicted by morbidity, maturity, feeding experience and prefeeding behavior state. Experience at oral feeding had the greatest effect on changes in the number of sucks, suck/burst and sucks/minute. CONCLUSION: Experience at feeding may result in more rapid maturation of sucking characteristics. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|