Being a "Good Parent" to a NICU Infant With a Major Congenital Anomaly.

Background: In the United States, up to one-third of infants with a congenital anomaly require neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization. Parents of these infants may have different decision-making priorities, which may be influenced by the timing of the infant's diagnosis.

Purpose: (1) To compare the ranked importance of decision-making beliefs for parents of infants who received a prenatal versus postnatal congenital diagnosis and (2) explore how parents describe their decision-making beliefs.

Development, Psychometric Testing, and Reference Values of the Infant Eating Assessment Tool (InfantEAT).

Background: Problematic feeding is common in infancy, particularly in infants with a history of premature birth or medical complexity. A concise, valid, and reliable measure of feeding that can be used across feeding methods is needed for clinical practice and research.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to create an assessment tool to evaluate symptoms of problematic feeding in infants that can be used across all feeding methods (breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and mixed feeding), then test its psychometric properties and establish reference values.

Application of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Framework to the NICU.

Background: Infants and families requiring neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care often experience significant stress and trauma during the earliest period of the infant's life, leading to increased risks for poorer infant and family outcomes. There is a need for frameworks to guide clinical care and research that account for the complex interactions of generational stress, pain, toxic stress, parental separation, and lifelong health and developmental outcomes for infants and families.

Purpose: Apply the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework in the context of the NICU as a usable structure to guide clinical practice and research focused on infant neurodevelopment outcomes and parental attachment.

To Consent, or Not to Consent, That Is the Question: Ethical Issues of Informed Consent for the Use of Donor Human Milk in the NICU Setting.

Background: Evidence supports the superiority of mother's own milk (MOM) in reducing the comorbidities common to prematurity and very low birth weight. In situations where an insufficient amount of MOM is available or maternal contraindications prevent its use, pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) is a viable substitution. When DHM is deemed best, a common practice in many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is for parents to provide their consent.

Systematic Review of the Effects of Skin-to-Skin Care on Short-Term Physiologic Stress Outcomes in Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are exposed to many stressors. There is growing evidence that chronic stress early in life has long-term neurodevelopmental implications. Skin-to-skin care (SSC) is an intervention used to reduce stress in the NICU.

Psychometric Properties of the Early Feeding Skills Assessment Tool.

Background: Supporting infants as they develop feeding skills is an essential component of neonatal and pediatric care. Selecting appropriate and supportive interventions begins with a thorough assessment of the infant's skills. The Early Feeding Skills (EFS) tool is a clinician-reported instrument developed to assess the emergence of early feeding skills and identify domains in need of intervention.

Know the Flow: Milk Flow Rates From Bottle Nipples Used in the Hospital and After Discharge.

Background: Milk flow rate may play an important role in an infant's ability to safely and efficiently coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing during feeding.

Purpose: To test milk flow rates from bottle nipples used in the hospital and after discharge.

Methods: Bottle nipples used in hospitals (10 unique types) and available nationwide at major retailers (15 unique types) were identified.

Systematic Review: What Is the Evidence for the Side-Lying Position for Feeding Preterm Infants?

Background: Side-lying position is an increasingly common feeding strategy used by parents, nurses, and feeding therapists to support oral feeding in preterm infants. Better understanding of the research evidence on the effect of the side-lying position will help clinicians make informed decisions and guide future research in this important area.

Purpose: To identify and summarize the available evidence on the effect of side-lying position on oral feeding outcomes in preterm infants.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool-Bottle-Feeding (NeoEAT-Bottle-Feeding).

Background: Feeding difficulties are common in infancy. There are currently no valid and reliable parent-report measures to assess bottle-feeding in infants younger than 7 months. The Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool (NeoEAT)-Bottle-feeding has been developed and content validated.

Heart Rate Variability as a Feeding Intervention Outcome Measure in the Preterm Infant.

Background: Feeding interventions for preterm infants aim to reduce the physiologic stress of feeding to promote growth. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a potential noninvasive measure of physiologic stress that may be useful for evaluating efficacy of feeding interventions.

Purpose: To evaluate whether HRV is a sensitive measure of physiologic stress compared with standard physiologic outcomes in the context of a feeding intervention study.

Effects of milk flow on the physiological and behavioural responses to feeding in an infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome often experience difficulty with oral feeding, which contributes to growth failure, morbidity, and mortality. In response to feeding difficulty, clinicians often change the bottle nipple, and thus milk flow rate. Slow-flow nipples have been found to reduce the stress of feeding in other fragile infants, but no research has evaluated the responses of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome to alterations in milk flow.

Assessment Tools for Evaluation of Oral Feeding in Infants Younger Than 6 Months.

Background: Feeding difficulty is common in infants younger than 6 months. Identification of infants in need of specialized treatment is critical to ensure appropriate nutrition and feeding skill development. Valid and reliable assessment tools help clinicians objectively evaluate feeding.