Developmental transition from gavage to oral feeding in the preterm infant.

The development of early oral feeding skills in the preterm infant is an active and complex area of nursing research. This integrative review summarizes the accumulated nursing research since 1990 that describes feeding the preterm infant during the transition from gavage to full oral feeding. Literature was identified through searches of databases covering the fields of nursing and medicine and of journals and nurse researchers who publish in this area of study. Four main areas of research were identified: development of infant feeding skills, descriptive studies on the transition period, studies that focus on identifying infant readiness to begin oral feeding, and studies that explore optimal ways to advance oral feeding as the infant moves toward full oral feeding. Research studies were critiqued from a developmental science perspective, which conceptualizes feeding skill as an emergent property of multiple systems, both within and outside the infant, that are interacting and working together to promote optimal functioning. Through this analysis, areas for future research are identified.