title: Factors affecting early feeding performance in preterm infants below 32 weeks gestation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the influence of various physiological and behavioral factors on feeding performance of preterm infants in the transition to full oral feeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed data from a feeding assessment conducted on 24 preterm infants born at 25-31 weeks without severe brain complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prolonged oxygen use and low current weight are two adverse factors for feeding efficiency (volume of milk ingested orally per minute in the initial 5 min of feeding) and proficiency (percentage of prescribed volume ingested orally over the entire feeding). Young post-menstrual age, low baseline oxygen saturation and high feeding efficiency were risk factors for oxygen desaturation during the initial feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proper feeding strategies are needed for preterm infants with those disadvantageous factors to improve their early feeding performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yea-Shwu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Mi-Chia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Mei-Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chen-Sea
authors.forename: Hui-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000502:physiology