The effect of nonnutritive sucking on bottle-feeding stress in preterm infants.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of nonnutritive sucking on the physiologic and behavioral stress reactions of preterm infants at early bottle feedings and to examine the effect of nonnutritive sucking on the feeding performance of preterm infants at early bottle feedings.


METHODS
Quasi-experimental with a matched sample.


METHODS
A level III neonatal intensive-care unit in a large medical center.


METHODS
Twenty preterm infants whose gestational ages at birth ranged from 26 to 34 weeks.


METHODS
Ten infants were provided nonnutritive sucking for 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after an early bottle feeding. Ten infants served as controls.


METHODS
Physiologic stress was measured by heart rate and oxygen saturation rate. Behavioral stress was measured by observation of behavioral state. Feeding performance was measured by duration, percentage of formula taken by bottle, and behavioral state after feeding.


CONCLUSIONS
Infants who received nonnutritive sucking before and after bottle feedings were more likely to be in a quiescent behavior state 5 minutes after the feeding (p = .01) and had higher feeding performance scores (p = .01) than infants who did not receive nonnutritive sucking.
Pickler
R H
RH
School of Nursing, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
Higgins
K E
KE
Crummette
B D
BD
D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D010092:Oximetry; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013391:Sucking Behavior