The review analyzed 67 articles, focusing on oromotor eating skills, eating behaviors, food parenting practices, and dietary patterns of preterm children. Here are some key findings and actionable steps for practitioners:
Key Findings
- Oromotor Eating Difficulties: Approximately 34% of children born preterm experience oromotor eating difficulties such as coordination of the suck-swallow-breathe pattern, coughing while eating, and difficulties self-feeding.
- Eating Behavior Challenges: Around 18% of preterm children exhibit challenging eating behaviors, including picky eating, food refusal, and tantrums during meals.
- Parental Concerns and Emotions: Parents of preterm children often report significant concerns and heightened anxiety during feeding times, leading to more coercive and negative feeding interactions.
- Dietary Patterns: Preterm children are often introduced to solid foods earlier than recommended and have poorer overall diet quality compared to their term-born peers.
Actionable Steps for Practitioners
1. Early Identification and Intervention
Early identification of oromotor difficulties is crucial. Practitioners should screen for issues like coordination of the suck-swallow-breathe pattern and difficulties with self-feeding. Early intervention can help close the developmental gap between preterm and term-born children.
2. Support for Parents
Given the high levels of parental anxiety and coercive feeding practices, providing parents with support and education on positive feeding interactions is essential. This can include strategies for responsive feeding and ways to manage stress and anxiety during mealtimes.
3. Focus on Dietary Patterns
Practitioners should guide parents on the appropriate age for introducing solid foods and ensure that preterm children receive a balanced diet that meets nutritional recommendations. Monitoring and supporting dietary patterns can help mitigate long-term health risks associated with poor diet quality.
4. Tailored Guidance
Given the unique challenges faced by preterm children, practitioners should offer tailored anticipatory guidance and nutritional support. This includes providing specific advice on oromotor milestones and best practices for child feeding.
Encouraging Further Research
The review highlights the need for more research to better understand the specific challenges and needs of preterm children. Practitioners are encouraged to contribute to this body of knowledge by conducting and participating in research studies.
By implementing these insights and strategies, practitioners can significantly improve the feeding outcomes and overall health of preterm children.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Eating Behaviors, Caregiver Feeding Interactions, and Dietary Patterns of Children Born Preterm: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
