Observations of newborn suckling behavior

Abstract

The suckling behaviors of 11 newborns, who were positioned for breastfeeding with their mouths just touching their mothers' nipple, and who were allowed to try to attach to it without maternal guidance, were videotaped at their very first breastfeeding and 4 days later. Slow-motion analyses revealed that on both days, newborns responded to the nipple with bursts of suckling attempts, which eventually resulted in nipple attachment and sucking. In each suckling attempt, newborns pulled slightly back from the nipple until their mouths were just out of contact with it, then moved toward it while opening their mouths and reestablished contact, all in one smooth motion. This usually ended with the nipple inside the mouth. Thus, when there was no need to search for a nipple, human newborns, like other mammals, exhibit an organized pattern of suckling behaviors that enables them to attach to it on their own.