Comparison of continuous versus intermittent sucking in very-low-birth-weight infants.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of continuous and intermittent sucking on breathing and sucking during oral feedings in very-low-birth-weight infants.


METHODS
A quasi-experimental, within-subjects design with random assignment. Infants were observed twice in 1 day, once with a nasogastric tube and once without, in random order.


METHODS
A Midwestern university-affiliated tertiary neonatal medical center.


METHODS
Eighteen very-low-birth-weight infants without severe neurologic problems or physical anomalies. On the day of the study, postnatal days were 17-82 days (M = 47.7, SD = +/- 19.3).


METHODS
Continuous sucking and intermittent sucking periods.


METHODS
Breathing parameters from prefeed to continuous sucking, and intermittent sucking to postfeed periods; and sucking parameters from continuous sucking to intermittent sucking were examined.


RESULTS
Continuous sucking had more detrimental effects on infants' breathing (p < .05), with stronger sucking (p < .05) and more formula milk intake (p < .05) than intermittent sucking. Different patterns of change between continuous sucking and intermittent sucking indicated that continuous sucking affected breathing, oxygenation, and sucking more than did intermittent sucking.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses who feed very-low-birth-weight infants should learn to observe different sucking periods and breathing pauses during continuous sucking periods, particularly during the 1st minute of bottle feeding.
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Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4904, USA.
D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*