Clinical Sucking Measure (s) to Identify Premature Infants Experiencing Difficulty Transitioning to Independent Oral Feeds

Thursday, November 10, 2022

3:32 PM – 3:37 PM

Location: Station 7

Presenting Author(s)

Sandra Fucile

Assistant Professor
School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Non-presenting Author(s)

KD

Kimberly Dow, MD

Neonatologist
Department of Pediatrics, Queen's University, United States

Research Objectives: To determine the sucking measure(s) that are associated with time to transition from full tube to independent oral feeds in premature infants.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Setting: The study was performed in the level II and III neonatal intensive care unit at Kingston Health Sciences Center (Ontario, Canada), a tertiary care hospital setting.

Participants: A consecutive sample of 14 infants born < 36 weeks gestation with no severe neonatal medical conditions were enrolled.

Interventions: N/A

Main Outcome Measures: Sucking measures assessed during the first 5 minutes of an oral feed included: average sucking burst duration (secs), suck strength (suction amplitude mm Hg), suck count, and pause duration (secs). These sucking measures were examined for their relationship with time to attainment to independent oral feeds. Data was analyzed using a multiple linear regression model with infant baseline factors (gestational age, days on assisted respiration) included as co-variates. A nipple monitoring device was used to record sucking measures when infants were taking 3-4 oral feeds/day.

Results: Sucking burst duration (β= -0.720, p=0.019) was the only outcome significantly associated with time to attainment of independent oral feeds., Longer sucking burst duration during the first five minutes of oral feeds was found to be related to faster transition from full tube to independent oral feeds.

Conclusions: Premature infants have difficulty attaining independent oral feeds, which is a necessary milestone to achieve for hospital discharge. Study results suggest that sucking burst duration during the first five minutes of an oral feed is inversely related with time to attainment of independent oral feeds. This sucking measure may be used clinically to earlier identify infants at risk for experiencing difficulties with the transition to independent oral feeds. A larger and diverse cohort study is needed to confirm these results, and to further identify clinical thresholds of sucking burst duration associated with attainment of independent oral feeds.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to understand the importance of achieving independent oral feeds in premature infants.
Upon completion, participant will be able to demonstrate understanding of the relation between sucking measures and oral feeding performance in preterm infants.
Upon completion, participants will be able to describe how sucking burst duration is associated with achievement of independent oral feeds in premature infants.