The Impact of Varying Nipple Properties on Infant Feeding Physiology and Performance Throughout Ontogeny in a Validated Animal Model.
K E Steer, M L Johnson, C E Edmonds and 4 others
PMID 37947879WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy infant pigs, nipple hole size and stiffness changed sucking effort, bolus size, and milk obtained.
Only the large-hole compliant nipple linked stronger suction to more milk.
Key findings
01Across ages, infant pigs produced more sucks per swallow on smaller-holed nipples; nipple stiffness changed sucks per swallow only for large-holed nipples in older infants.
02At day 17, pressure per swallow was higher on large-holed stiff nipples than small-holed stiff nipples, but lower on large-holed compliant nipples than small-holed compliant nipples; at day 7, summed pressure per swallow did not substantially differ among nipple types.
03Only the large-holed compliant nipple showed a positive relationship between pressure generated per suck and milk volume per suck at both ages; the other three nipple types showed no relationship.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The supplied text does not state the number of piglets analysed. The study used healthy piglets, not human infants, and not infants with feeding difficulties. The authors state results may not be directly applicable to human infants. Only sucking was examined, not swallowing and breathing coordination.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests. The supplied metadata lists NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these findings to choose nipples for human infants. The study tested healthy piglets, not human infants with feeding difficulties, and the authors state the results may not be directly applicable.