Mechanisms of feeding efficiency in preterm infants.
Nutritive sucking was studied in 18 preterm infants. Differences in feeding efficiency could not be explained by differences in sucking rate. Quick efficient drinking, however, was characterized by long sucking bursts and by a large amount of milk intake during each sucking movement. Slow inefficient drinking was characterized by short sucking bursts and by a small amount of milk intake during each sucking movement.
D000367:Age Factors; D004435:Eating; D004576:Electromyography; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D013391:Sucking Behavior