Oral Feeding and the Late Preterm Infant

This article describes how medical and maturational/developmental problems affect oral feeding success in late preterm infants. Poor feeding is a common reason for readmission to the hospital in infants born at 34 to 37 weeks postconceptual age. As a result of medical issues such as respiratory distress, jaundice, hypoglycemia, and temperature instability, these infants may be prone to poor oral feeding. When compared with their fullterm counterparts, innate differences in muscle tone, state regulation, endurance, and suck-swallow-breathe coordination independently or interdependently complicate their transition to full oral feeds. Feeding practices that may facilitate the transition to successful oral feeding are discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.