PURPOSE: To retrospectively analyze the results of speech therapy activities that are part of the monitoring of bottle feeding infants discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive study regarding the actions carried out with bottle feeding infants from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who had received speech-language therapy. From the 11 participants, nine were preterm, adequate for gestational age, between 27 and 35 weeks; two were born full-term, one big and one adequate for gestational age, respectively with diagnoses of leucomalacia and jejunal atresia. The following variables were analyzed: mode of feeding, bottle container, bottle nipple, speech-language pathology evaluation and treatment in the first two therapy sessions. RESULTS: In the first assessment, all infants were using bottles containers and nipples randomly selected by their mothers. In the second assessment, most of the utensils followed the recommendation, but the wrong body position and the signs of discomfort persisted. Mothers were oriented a second time regarding feeding mode. Statistical analysis confirmed that speech-language evaluation and treatment significantly affected the decision of mothers to replace utensils, resulting in reduction of signs of discomfort. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need to carefully monitor the bottle feeding procedure and to detail the specific feeding characteristics of children discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Infant; Breast feeding; Bottle feeding; Speech; Language and hearing sciences; Observation
