(43) Family-Centered, Trauma Informed Feeding Support in the Preterm and Medically Complex Infant

Abstract: There are many challenges to feeding for infants born prematurely or with medical complications, and many speech pathologists do not have a strong foundation of education pertaining to pediatric feeding disorders, especially within this population. The challenges these infants and their families face are multi-faceted and may include: extended or unnecessary separation of parents and infants, poor weight gain, fatigue or low energy, breastfeeding difficulties, oral motor dysfunction, and dysphagia. This presentation aims to address common challenges and difficulties that infants and families may experience and how to best support them within a neurodevelopmental model of care.

Summary of Presentation : Admission to a Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) may be one of the most stressful and traumatic experiences for the families that we serve which can have lasting impacts across the life span. A family-centered and trauma informed approach to care can empower and assist in mitigating stress for the families and the infants that we serve. This framework of care can be extended beyond the NCCU into the outpatient and Early Intervention settings as well.

This session will briefly introduce the components of a neurodevelopmental model of care as well as explore how early and/or prolonged exposure to stress can impact the developing brain, overall family dynamic, and feeding skill acquisition. Strategies to mitigate stress and support families will be discussed as it pertains to both breastfeeding and bottle feeding progression.