Deglutition apnoea as indicator of maturation of suckle feeding in bottle-fed preterm infants.

The maturation of deglutition apnoea time was investigated in 42 bottle-fed preterm infants, 28 to 37 weeks gestation, and in 29 normal term infants as a comparison group. Deglutition apnoea times reduced as infants matured, as did the number and length of episodes of multiple-swallow deglutition apnoea. The maturation appears related to developmental age (gestation) rather than feeding experience (postnatal age). Prolonged (> 4 seconds) episodes of deglutition apnoea remained significantly more frequent in preterm infants reaching term postconceptual age compared to term infants. However, multiple-swallow deglutition apnoeas also occurred in the term comparison group, showing that maturation of this aspect is not complete at term gestation. The establishment of normal data for maturation should be valuable in assessing infants with feeding difficulties as well as for evaluation of neurological maturity and functioning of ventilatory control during feeding.