Nutritive Sucking And Neurobehavioral Development IN PRETERM INFANTS FROM 34 WEEKS PCA TO TERM

These results demonstrate that high risk preterm infants mature significantly in their sucking behaviors and in their ability to maintain a more alert behavioral state from 34 weeks PCA to term. However, unlike full term infants--where state is positively correlated to feeding (sucking) success--the preterm infant state of alertness may not enhance sucking skills at 34 weeks PCA. These infants may be too stressed to manage both feeding and stimulation from the environment that is unavoidable when alert. However, this relationship does appear to change by 40 weeks PCA.