Neonatal nutritive sucking: effects of taste stimulation upon sucking rhythm and heart rate.
The sucking behavior and heart rate of 22 full-term newborns were recorded. Half of the infants sucked for 9 minutes in 3 blocks of 3 minutes, first receiving a 0.02-ml drop of 5% sucrose for each criterion suck, then no fluid contingent upon such sucks, and finally a 0.02-ml drop of 15% sucrose for each suck. The other half received these conditions in reverse order. Regardless of the order in which the 2 nutrient conditions were administered, intersuck intervals were longer under the sweeter condition, but heart rate was also higher. Possible interpretations include a hedonic explanation suggesting that sucking rate is modulated to facilitate savoring of the sweeter fluid.
D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009043:Motor Activity; D013391:Sucking Behavior; D013395:Sucrose; D013649:Taste
D013395:Sucrose