Nipple feeding premature infants in the neonatal intensive-care unit: factors and decisions.
OBJECTIVE
To rank factors considered important by neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) nurses in identifying hunger in infants weighing 1,800 g or less, to rank factors considered important in making decisions about nipple feeding such infants, to determine whether the two rankings varied among hospitals, and to identify the caregiver with the greatest influence over feeding decisions.


METHODS
Descriptive comparative survey.


METHODS
NICUs of three metropolitan hospitals.


METHODS
Forty-seven NICU nurses in those hospitals.


METHODS
Nurses ranked factors indicating hunger in preterm infants and factors contributing to feeding decisions for such infants.


RESULTS
Vigorous sucking, rooting, and crying were ranked as hunger cues. Nonnutritive sucking and a gestational age of 34 weeks or more were considered indicators of readiness to begin nipple feeding. The centrality of the nurse's role in feeding decisions was confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
Additional research is needed to determine whether nonnutritive sucking predicts nutritive sucking performance and to study the nurses' responses to infants who suck poorly or refuse to nipple feed.
Kinneer
M D
MD
University of Colorado School of Nursing, Denver 80262.
Beachy
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000379:methods*; D017028:Caregivers; D003448:Crying / Q000502:physiology*; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D005865:Gestational Age; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology*; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008875:Middle Aged; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010348:Patient Care Team; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*