Abstract
Feeding difficulties common in preterm infants often delay their initial discharge to home (1). Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates are then at high risk for rehospitalisation during the first year of life, and feeding problems such as aspiration contribute significantly to this morbidity. Gastrointestinal and respiratory diagnoses, primarily aspiration and feeding disorders, account for one-quarter of all readmissions and are among the most expensive readmissions (2). One possible aetiology for these problems is that feeding skills of preterm infants continue to mature to the level of term infants well after discharge from the NICU (3). The acquisition of optimal basic feeding skills in preterm infants before discharge to home can establish a solid basis for later learning of more complex skills and prevention of serious complications.
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