Predictors of nutritive sucking in preterm infants.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this analysis were to determine how select characteristics of nutritive sucking (number of sucks, sucks/burst, and sucks/minute) change over time and to examine the effect of select factors (morbidity, maturity, prefeeding behavior state, and feeding experience) on those changes.


METHODS
A longitudinal, non-experimental study was conducted in a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit using a convenience sample of 88 preterm infants. Statistical analyses were performed using a repeated-measures mixed-model in SAS.


RESULTS
Sucking activity (number of sucks, sucks/burst, and sucks/minute) was predicted by morbidity, maturity, feeding experience and prefeeding behavior state. Experience at oral feeding had the greatest effect on changes in the number of sucks, suck/burst and sucks/minute.


CONCLUSIONS
Experience at feeding may result in more rapid maturation of sucking characteristics.
Pickler
R H
RH
School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA. rpickler@vcu.edu
Best
A M
AM
Reyna
B A
BA
Gutcher
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Wetzel
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PA
D001903:Bottle Feeding; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*