The Relationship Between Behavioral States and Oral Feeding Efficiency in Preterm Infants.
Thao Griffith, Kristin Rankin, Rosemary White-Traut
PMID 27649302WHAT IT FOUND
More time alert or crying just before bottle feeding was linked with faster feeding in preterm infants.
More time sleeping was linked with slower feeding. Drowsy states showed no clear link. Crying is a late hunger sign, so use caution.
Key findings
01Being alert was positively associated with oral feeding efficiency.
02Being asleep was negatively associated with oral feeding efficiency.
03Being in a crying state was positively associated with oral feeding efficiency.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a secondary analysis of baseline data, not a test of the randomized intervention. Behavioral states were measured only for the 1 minute before feeding, not during feeding. Feeding efficiency was based on intake over the first 10 minutes, and the study did not compare intake with the prescribed amount. The sample was medically stable infants born at 29 to 34 weeks gestational age in two inner-city centers, so the results do not show how infants outside this group would feed.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat crying as a routine cue to start a feeding. Crying was associated with higher oral feeding efficiency, but the paper says crying is a late hunger sign and vigorous crying can make self-regulation harder.