Oxygen saturation and heart rate during feeding in breast-fed infants at 1 week and 2 months of age.
OBJECTIVE
To gather normative data about cardiopulmonary changes during feeding in breast-fed infants at 1 week and 2 months of age.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
General community.


METHODS
Twenty-two term-born, breast-fed infants.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Oxygen saturation (SpO2), the percentage of oxygenized hemoglobin, and heart rate were monitored and recorded every 30 seconds for 5 minutes before oral feeding, during the first 10 minutes of feeding, and the first 10 minutes immediately after feeding. The observations were made at 1 week and 2 months of age.


RESULTS
Mean SpO2 levels were significantly higher in 2-month-old infants (mean, 97.57) than in 1-week-old infants (mean, 96.35) (P=.001). SpO2 was not affected by any of the 3 trials (before, during, and after feeding). Heart rate was significantly affected by trial. Mean heart rate during feeding (mean, 152.45) was significantly higher than heart rate prefeeding (mean, 146.51) (P<.001), and heart rate postfeeding (mean, 147.12) (P=.002). Heart rate was not affected by age.


CONCLUSIONS
Little is known about the association between feeding and cardiopulmonary status in term-born, breast-fed infants. This longitudinal study contributes to our knowledge about feeding-related cardiopulmonary changes in term-born, breast-fed infants.
School of Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38105, USA. dsuiter@memphis.edu
Debra M
DM
Suiter
Jacki
J
Ruark-McMurtrey
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D010100:Oxygen