Feeding Healthy Term Infants-oral Sensory Motor Functions in First Six Months of Life

Objective: To analyze the feeding performance of healthy full-term neonates and infants assisted during the first six months of life, identifying clinical findings of alterations in the oral sensorimotor system. Methods (institutional ethics committee approval report no. 2.951.246). This was a longitudinal descriptive study with a convenience sample that followed 37 healthy full-term infants from newborn to six months of age. A standardized clinical speech assessment protocol was used to perform these evaluations. Feeding was assessed by classifying swallowing and identifying altered clinical signs related to the functionality of the oral sensorimotor system. Results: The average length of stay at birth was longer than that recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, indicating that some newborns had complications at birth (feeding difficulties were the most common hospitalization diagnosis). There was a high prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding and feeding on demand. There was a statistically significant difference in the performance and response of the infants in relation to the months in the following variables: weight; complaints about feeding; use of medication; consistency of food introduced; amount of food; intercurrences during feeding; tongue tone; teeth; frequency of swallowing saliva; oral reflex; grip/hold; frequency of sucks per swallow; pauses. Conclusion: It was possible to identify that the responses observed in the sample are in line with the literature, and it is possible to correlate these findings with the expected physiology of the development of the oral and general sensorimotor systems of infants(1-3).

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