Infants born prematurely, with congenital or acquired medical conditions, or who have
extended stays in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at higher risk of
developing feeding and nutritional problems than are full-term, healthy newborns.
Because of the complex nature of feeding, it is necessary to have a thorough
understanding of the developmental nature of this skill. The importance of recognizing
stability in the physiologic, motor and state systems and using stability to determine
both readiness to begin nipple feeding and progress in feeding, is discussed.
Intervention strategies to promote stability leading to successful feeding are also
described. Viewing infant feeding from a developmental skill acquisition perspective
can guide the caregiver in determining how challenging it is for the infant, and
therefore is useful in supporting the progression of feeding.