Preterm sucking behaviour and later neurodevelopment

Abstract

This commentary is on the original article by Wolthuis‐Stigter et al. on pages 871–877 of this issue.

Predictability of neonatal sucking for later developmental outcomes

“…14 The NOMAS has been identified as the only neurobehavioral assessment that specifically measures preterm sucking behavior. 15 Slattery reports in a review article that, early sucking and swallowing measures predicted neurodevelopmental outcome in later infancy in five of the six studies reviewed. 16 Thus studies show that sucking and swallowing disorders in early infancy serve as potential markers of neurodevelopmental problems and abnormal sucking patterns may reflect neurologic developmental issues in preterm infants.…”