Non-nutritive sucking does not increase blood levels of gastrin, motilin, insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 in premature infants receiving enteral feedings.

Non-nutritive sucking in premature infants accelerates weight gain for unclear reasons. The effects of non-nutritive sucking on enteral hormone secretion may augment digestion and/or absorption of nutrients. Blood concentrations of gastrin, motilin, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 were measured before and 72 h after the initiation of nasogastric feedings in 21 premature infants randomly assigned to either a non-nutritive suckling or control group. Gastrin and motilin concentrations increased significantly after feedings in all infants (mean +/- SEM) (gastrin, 41 +/- 4 to 73 +/- 9 pg/ml, p < 0.01; motilin, 141 +/- 5 to 181 +/- 3 pg/ml, p < 0.01) Pre- and post-feed insulin concentrations were greater in the non-nutritive sucking group receiving bolus feeds than in control infants who were bolus-fed (P < 0.01). Non-nutritive sucking in premature infants does not appear to alter blood concentrations of motilin, gastrin, insulin or insulin-like growth factor-1 three days after initiation of feedings. If changes in the secretion of these hormones are induced by non-nutritive sucking, they may be at a local paracrine level.