The transition to oral feeding in low-risk premature infants: relation to infant neurobehavioral functioning and mother-infant feeding interaction.

Background: The achievement of oral feeding is a critical task for the premature infant-mother dyad, yet neurobehavioral and relational factors associated with feeding difficulties of low-risk premature infants during hospitalization are not well understood.

Aim: To examine the relations between infant neurobehavioral functioning, the transition to oral feeding, and the emerging mother-infant feeding relationship in premature infants.

Study Design And Subjects: Ninety-seven low-risk premature infants (birth weight>1000 g; gestational age>30 weeks) and their mothers were followed at the NICU.