Development of sucking patterns in preterm infants

The studies reported on in this thesis addressed the development of sucking
patterns in preterm newborns. Preterm infants often have problems learning
to suckle at the breast or to drink from a bottle. It is unclear whether this is
due to their preterm birth or whether it is the consequence of neurological
damage. From the literature, as well as from daily practice, we know that
there is much variation in the time and in the way children start sucking
normally. Factors such as birth weight and gestational age may indeed be
risk factors but they do not explain the differences in development. A small
spot-check proved that most hospitals in the Netherlands start infants on
oral feeding by 34 weeks’ post-menstrual age (pma). By and large the policy
is aimed at getting the infant to rely on oral feeding entirely as soon as
possible. The underlying rationale is to reduce the stay in hospital, and the
idea that prolonged tube-feeding delays or even hampers the development of
sucking.