Over ten percent of the babies born in the United States each year are considered pre-term (before 37 weeks). Of those approximately 400,000 babies many have feeding and sucking difficulties. That’s where neonatal feeding & swallowing therapy comes in–and one of the best neonatal therapists in Eastern Idaho is right here at Madison Memorial Hospital.
Brad Saunders OTR/L, works daily with the tiniest patients at Madison Memorial Hospital in their NICU, helping infants develop the skills that come naturally to most full-term babies.
“Development of oral feeding skills needs careful coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing. In preterm infants, the development of oral feeding can be challenging because of long hospitalizations, breathing difficulties and other medical conditions associated with preterm birth. Unpleasant procedures such as ventilation or frequent suctioning of secretions from the mouth or nose can negatively impact feeding skills,” said an article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Oral feeding readiness in preterm infants is a concern often towards the tail-end of hospitalization. It becomes a priority after other major medical concerns have been resolved or are manageable.
With a mix of oral stimulation interventions and helping infants create a suck, swallow, breath routine, occupational therapists like Brad Saunders, are a huge part of getting these little ones ready to take on the world outside of the NICU.
To learn more about the feeding and swallowing therapy available at Madison Memorial Hospital, call our therapy services office at 208-359-6500.