Cot-side Suckometry and Oral Stimulation in Very Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study

Very preterm infants - born before 32 weeks' gestational age - commonly experience delayed transition to oral feeding due to immature suck-swallow-breathe coordination. This prospective pilot study have two aims: (1) to assess the feasibility of cot-side non-nutritive sucking assessment (suckometry) from the first postnatal days in very preterm infants; and (2) to characterise early sucking performances before and after routine implementation of a structured oral stimulation protocol. Very preterm infants - born before 33 weeks gestational age - enrolled in a single-centre level III neonatal unit. Sucking performance measured weekly using a novel bedside suckometer from the first postnatal week until full oral feeding autonomy. Clinical outcomes and sucking parameters compared between non-stimulated (NOSTIM) and stimulated (STIM) groups.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Gestational age at birth: 27 to 32 weeks 2. Admitted to the level III neonatal intensive care unit, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon Exclusion Criteria: 1. Ongoing sedation or analgesia 2. Severe neurological injury: intraventricular haemorrhage grade ≥2 or periventricular leukomalacia 3. Major congenital anomalies or chromosomal abnormalities 4. Necrotising enterocolitis