Non-nutritive suck has been found to be one of the single most important prognostic indicators of motor, cognitive and oromotor development in neonates and term infants.
Using data to support feeding decisions can be vital in improving feeding outcomes in infants. This chart provides a consistent way to monitor feeding outcomes with input, output and quality indicators to monitor quality-based feeding.
In feeding therapy, the language that we use when discussing participation and intake should promote a focus on quality of feeding rather than quantity of feeds. This handout provides ways that we can utilize language to promote quality-based feeding rather than volume-driven feeding.