Nutrition is a critical problem in preterm infants. They should initially be enterally fed because they have poor sucking-swallowing-breathing coordination. Once a preterm infant develops that coordination, enteral feeding should be discontinued immediately. Then, the preterm should switch to oral feeding (breastmilk). However, preterm infants are not good at sucking because they get tired too quickly, have poor sucking skills, and lack enough experience. Therefore, we must use alternative supplemental feeding methods (bottle, spoon, dropper, cup, breastfeeding support system, and finger feeding) until preterm infants mature enough to meet their daily nutritional needs by breastfeeding alone (exclusive breastfeeding).~The Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) is an alternative supplemental feeding method that supports the development of sucking skills while providing the preterm infant's nutritional needs. This study investigated the effect of the Supplemental Nursing System (SNS)-based feeding on the time to transition to exclusive breastfeeding, sucking success, and the time to discharge in preterm infants.
This study investigated the effect of the Supplemental Nursing System (SNS)-based feeding on the time to transition to exclusive breastfeeding, sucking success, and the time to discharge in preterm infants