Sucking and swallowing in infants and diagnostic tools.

Preterm infants often have difficulties in learning how to suckle from the breast or how to drink from a bottle. As yet, it is unclear whether this is part of their prematurity or whether it is caused by neurological problems. Is it possible to decide on the basis of how an infant learns to suckle or drink whether it needs help and if so, what kind of help? In addition, can any predictions be made regarding the relationship between these difficulties and later neurodevelopmental outcome? We searched the literature for recent insights into the development of sucking and the factors that play a role in acquiring this skill. Our aim was to find a diagnostic tool that focuses on the readiness for feeding or that provides guidelines for interventions. At the same time, we searched for studies on the relationship between early sucking behavior and developmental outcome. It appeared that there is a great need for a reliable, user-friendly and noninvasive diagnostic tool to study sucking in preterm and full-term infants.