Behavioral state activity during nipple feedings for preterm infants.

The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of behavioral state activity during nipple feeding on feeding success for a group of 20 preterm infants. The infants, fed per hospital policy at scheduled three-hour intervals, were observed during four early nipple feedings. Nine of the 20 infants were able to successfully nipple their four nipple feedings; the other 11 infants were unable to successfully complete their nipple feedings. The 9 successful feeders exhibited significantly more awake behavior during feeding than unsuccessful feeders (F = 7.82; p = .012). The unsuccessful feeders spent 53 percent of their feeding in sleep states; successful feeders were in sleep states only 30 percent of their feeding time. Along with other research, these findings suggest that infant behavioral state may be a key consideration for nipple feeding success in preterm infants.