ABSTRACT
Objective:
this study aimed at investigating the Schedule Oral Motor Assessment (SOMA) tool to be used with preterm infants and to compare its results with the Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale (POFRAS) to start oral feeding.
Methods:
a cross-sectional and quantitative study, consisting in a sample of 45 healthy and clinically stable preterm infants, assessed at their first oral feeding with two tools: the Schedule Oral Motor Assessment and Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment Scale. Stata 10.0 software was used for data analysis.
Results:
10 preterm infants with readiness for oral feeding showed normal oral motor function, and 16, presented with oral motor dysfunction, did not show readiness for feeding (p <0.05). The time of transition for full oral feeding was 13.5 (± 8.1) days for preterm infants with better results in both assessment tools, and 17.7 (± 10.9) days for those who did not show readiness for oral feeding and had oral motor dysfunction to initiate oral feeding, resulting in a given clinical relevance, even showing no significance (p> 0.05).
Conclusion:
these results suggest that the Schedule Oral Motor Assessment can be an adjunctive method for evaluation of the oral motor function at the first oral feeding in preterm infants.
Keywords:
Infant, Premature; Sucking Behavior; Aptitude; Feeding Behavior