Neonatal Feeding and Developmental Issues

Authors

Steven M. Barlow, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2024

Citation

Pediatric Medicine (2024) 7(21)

doi: 10.21037/pm-24-18

Comments

Open access

License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Abstract

Prematurity occurs in more than 10% of live births in the world each year. This translates to approximately 13.4 million preterm infants in 2020, with nearly 1 million dying from preterm complications (1). Research has contributed significantly to advances in medical care of the fragile preterm infant, resulting in increased survival rates (2). Preterm infants often have long-term healthcare needs and may face multiple challenges during their care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including cardiopulmonary problems, infections, neurological, and oral feeding issues (2). Oral feeding is a complex sensorimotor behavior. The level of skill necessary to properly select, sequence and coordinate oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal subsystems for safe oral feeding render it as one of the most advanced neurological milestones facing the newborn (3,4). The demonstration of oral feeding competency in preterm infants is an essential requirement for hospital discharge. For some premature infants, oral feeding problems may persist into childhood and beyond (5-7). This emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and management of feeding problems and periodic follow-up to address long-term challenges among children and adults born preterm. Therefore, the charge exists to refine and standardize diagnostic criteria and promote individualized therapeutic strategies facilitated using a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to manage feeding disorders.