An innovative automatic feeding device for preterm infants: promoting the development of sucking ability.

ABSTRACT: Preterm infants, particularly those born before 32 weeks of gestation, frequently face challenges in achieving full enteral nutrition due to underdeveloped sucking-swallowing-breathing coordination. Conventional feeding methods, such as the use of indwelling nasogastric tubes, overlook the importance of sucking activity, which is essential for the development of gastrointestinal motility and the secretion of digestive enzymes. To address this issue, we have developed a sucking-rewarded automatic feeding device specifically designed for preterm infants. The device features a specialized pacifier that detects sucking activity and triggers the delivery of a predetermined amount of milk into the stomach via a gastric tube. In addition to promoting sucking-induced satiety, the device continuous

SUBMITTER: Luo F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12722832 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature