Sucção nutritiva e não-nutritiva em recém-nascidos pré-termo: ritmo e taxa de sucção

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the rhythm and the rate of the nonnutritive (NNS) and nutritive sucking (NS) in premature neonates (PN) as well as to verify if there is difference in relation to these patterns in PN from different gestational ages. The evaluation occurred after the medical prescription to the oral feeding and the sample was composed by 32 PN which have not received previous oral motor stimulation. The three first blocks were observed, both SNN and SN, and the sucking rhythm was evaluated only in the two first blocks. The data corresponding to three different gestational age groups (GA) were also compared. Group 1 (G1) GA less than 34 weeks; Group 2 (G2) GA equal to 34 weeks and Group 3 (G3) GA more than 34 weeks. The data were collected during May and September of 2005 and they were analyzed by using the software STATA (5.0) and the T test and the Fisher exact test were used. Based on the results that were obtained, it was possible to perceive that during the two first blocks most of the PN did not present rhythm, both NNS and NS; and it was observed that the sucking rate was bigger during the NS in the three evaluated blocks. In a comparison among the groups of different gestational ages, it was verified that most of the PN showed rhythm only during the NS and the sucking rate corresponding to NS was the same or bigger than NNS. Based on this, it can be concluded that the presence of nutritious stimulus (milk) could have been responsible for a raise in the values concerning these variables.