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Dynamics of oralrespiratory coordination in full‐term and preterm infants: I. Comparisons at 38‐40 weeks postconceptional age
Author(s) -
Goldfield Eugene C.,
Wolff Peter H.,
Schmidt Richard C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7687.00081
Subject(s) - pacifier , breathing , pediatrics , psychology , audiology , medicine , anesthesia , breastfeeding
This study compares the coordination of pacifier sucking and breathing between healthy full‐term, low risk preterm, and high risk preterm infants at 38–40 weeks postconceptional age. High and low risk preterm infants did not differ in overall score on a neurobehavioral examination (NAPI), but infants in the high risk group differed from the others in breathing frequency and in the coordination of breathing and sucking rhythms. For infants in the high risk group, sucking had less influence on respiratory frequency and patterns of coordination between the frequencies of sucking and breathing were simpler. Oral–respiratory coordination may be a useful marker of infants at risk for later speech problems.