We are developing diagnostic and treatment equipment basedprimarily on fluid flow technology. We are developing a suckometer with the long term application to various aspects of neonatal andpost-natal care and study. This research focuses on the feedingbehavior of very low birth weight infants with ultimate applicationto infants with other feeding problems due to congenital abnormalityand other causes. T he methodology used is based on the Kron suckingdevice which uses a specially designed nipple with linear flow restrictor. The restrictor transduces the intraoral pressure developedby a suckling infant into a pressure-time signal that can be analyzedto give a number of parameters relating to infant status. Previousresearch has shown the applicability of the method to evaluating theclinical state of full term and preterm infants. The present work isdirected to developing specialized nipples and associated analysissoftware for studying the feeding behavior, development of suckingand swallowing of immature infants, and the related problems of infant care and transition to normal feeding activity. Such equipmentand methodology should find a market in most newborn birthingfacilities, infant intensive care units, and in similar facilitiesthat specialize in the care of low birthweight and congenitallyabnormal infants. This market has grown considerably in recent yearsdue to the significant improvement in care leading to much highersurvival rates of such infants, but increasing the population of infants with serious feeding problems.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research: I he suckometer being developed would be applicable in all newborn nurseries for study and care of low birth weight infants and be invaluable in determining transition to normal feeding for such infants. Also would be applicable to care of infants with congenital feeding abnormalities such as cleft palates.National Institute for Nursing Research (NCNR)
