Cardiovascular responses to pacifier experience and feeding in newborn infants

This study examined the effects of sucking on a pacifier immediately before feeding on cardiovascular responses to feeding. Twenty-eight bottle-feedin g infants were studied at 12 to 40 hr of age. Blood pressure and heart rare measurements were made during three periods Period while infants rested in their cribs before a regularly scheduled feeding, Period 2 - while being h eld by the feeder immediately before feeding, and Period 3 - during the fir st 3 to 5 min of feeding. Half of the infants were given a pacifier during Period 2. Blood pressures and heart rates increased across the periods; how ever, increases in systolic blood pressure during feeding were reduced for the group of infants given a pacifier prior to feeding. We suggest that car diovascular responses to feeding in infants are comprised of multiple eleme nts. Most of the the systolic blood pressure responses to feeding are elici ted by sucking whereas the heart rate response is dependant on both sucking and nutrient intake. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.