title: Nonnutritive sucking modulates behavioral state for preterm infants before feeding.
abstract: Forty-two pre-term infants were studied to determine the effect of nonnutritive sucking pre-feeding on behavioral state. Infants were randomly assigned to pacifier or rest groups. Pacifiers or rest were given for 5 minutes following routine caregiving and before each of the first 16 bottle feedings. A 12-category scale was used to measure state immediately before the 5-minutes and after. Frequencies of states that precede optimal feedings changed for infants given pacifiers versus rest: alert inactivity (+6 vs. -2), quiet awake (+19 vs. -6), and active awake (-24 vs. +12); infants given pacifiers had more sleep and fewer restless states. Group differences were non-significant before nonnutritive sucking (p = 0.16) but significant after (p = 0.00001). When self-regulatory feeding policies based on early hunger cues are not allowed, nonnutritive sucking for 5 minutes pre-feeding is simple, brief, and appropriate for busy intensive care units. These findings confirm those from earlier less conclusive research and indicate that nonnutritive sucking modulates behavioral state.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behnke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conlon
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008297:Male; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D013391:Sucking Behavior