Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Leadership Education in NeurodevelopmFEEDING DISORDERS IN THE HIGH-RISK INFANT

Discharge of the high-risk newborn from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) typi-cally includes successful volume and rate of oral intake by either breast or bottle, and appropriate and consistent weight gain for specified amounts of time.1 Delay in discharge is often attributed to a lack of attaining success at eating skills and adequate growth. These delays often cause frustration for the parents who are anxious to have their baby home, and frustration for the professional staff, including the case manager, who are also anxious to save hospitalization costs and lengthy stays. Feeding problems develop through interactions among biological, behavioral, and environmental factors, and preterm infants and their families, especially infants born extremely preterm, are at high risk for feeding problems, developmental delay, and relationship difficulties as well as compromised growth.2–4 Adequate growth is typi-cally regarded as a positive outcome for high-risk infants but is difficult to achieve in the NICU. The majority of growth faltering occurs in the initial hospitalization fo