Dynamics of oralrespiratory coordination in full‐term and preterm infants: II. Continuing effects at 3 months post term

Abstract

Thirty‐two infants participating in a longitudinal study of the effects of premature birth on sucking and breathing were tested at 3 months post term. They were assigned at a previous test to either a healthy full‐term, healthy preterm, or high risk preterm group on the basis of birth weight, postconceptional age at birth, and perinatal medical status. Positive and negative sucking pressure as well as chest and abdominal breathing movements were recorded during nutritive sucking. The high risk preterms used a simpler and more stable pattern of coordination between sucking and breathing, were more likely to interrupt breathing at milk onset, and produced longer phase lags between positive and negative sucking pressure.