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Mechanism to Promote Safe and Efficient Oral Feeding in Preterm Infants

ReHaB Core ⟩ NICU Lab ⟩

Oral intake is an important indicator of weight gain and development for premature infants, especially as they approach discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). However, the underlying skills for oral feeding such as coordinating suck-swallow-breathe, state regulation, and maintenance of oral tone can be difficult to achieve for premature infants. Interventions have been developed to facilitate the acquisition of these skills and adapt feeding until the infant is mature; however, to date, these are more effectively implemented under the guidance of an experienced neonatal feeder (such as a nurse, SLP, OT, or other healthcare providers). The purpose of this study is to test the safety and feasibility of a novel feeding technology to eventually improve ease of feeding for this population.

Funding

Type	Source	Number	Amount
Federal	NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)	R44 HS092210	$1,730,866 (anticipated)

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

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The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®).

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