The value of non-nutritive sucking in the development of enteral feeding of a premature baby

• Anna M. Bobrova
• Irina I. Ryumina
• Marina V. Kukhartseva
• Marina V. Narogan

Abstract

For premature babies, the establishment of effective enteral feeding, the assessment of the newborn’s readiness for nutritional sucking, and the tactics of transition from tube feeding to breastfeeding remain serious problems. Currently, there are a limited number of methods to improve the oral-motor skills of infants. One of the main methods is the non-nutritive sucking of a pacifier or breast. Numerous studies indicate that non-nutritive sucking improves the oral-motor skills of a premature baby, but in practical healthcare, there is no single method for using this tool.

Keywords:newborn; premature baby; non-nutritive sucking; tube feeding; breast milk; enteral nutrition; assessment of the sucking reflex

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