Infant Treatment

Question 1

how can you treat sucking?

Answer 1

Oral preparation activities:
o Suck training – finger/dummy (e.g. tug of war, press down)
o Adapt to what they need (e.g. make teat softer, wider, more narrow)
o Toys
o Baby toothbrushes

Question 2

Management – Non-Nutritive Sucking

Answer 2

· Stroking face/mouth (Oral hypersensitivity)
· Stroking tongue (Inconsistent sucking rhythm)
· Dummy or finger ( sucking coordination, increasing sucking)
· Swabs dipped in water, milk, breast milk (swallow and breathing (SSB) coordination)
O not safe for oral feeds, tastes only

Question 3

when would you stroke the face/mouth

Answer 3

Oral hypersensitivity (can result in gagging upon touch of lips, gums, hard palate, tongue etc.)

Question 4

when would you stroke the tongue

Answer 4

Inconsistent sucking rhythm

Question 5

when would you use the Dummy or finger

Answer 5

sucking coordination, increasing sucking

Question 6

when would you use swabs dipped in water, milk, breast milk

Answer 6

swallow and breathing (SSB) coordination

not safe for oral feeds, tastes only

Question 7

how can you help weak inconsistent sucking

Answer 7

o Tug on teat
o Adjust teat type/flow rate
o Thicken liquid

Question 8

how can you help sucking coordination

Answer 8

o Pacing

o Adjust teat flow