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Highlights from the Conference on Neonatal Nutrition, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX, March 4-7, 2001.
Premie Breastfeeding Scale
Nancy Hurst, RN,MSN,IBCLC, from Baylor College of Med, has developed this tool to assess the premature infant during a breastfeeding episode. She calls it the PREMIE breastfeeding scale. The infant’s breast feeding performance is scored on a 0 – 2 point scale on each of six criteria (maximum score = 12). This provides an objective measure of the infant’s developmental progress in learning to breast feed. The first initial of the categories scored spell the word "PREMIE", and they are scored as outlined below:
P = Positioning
0 points: Full assist
1 point: Minimal assist
2 points: No assist from staff
R = Rooting
0 points: No rooting
1 point: Some rooting with stimulation
2 points: Obvious Rooting with minimal stimulation.
E = Effective latch-on
0 points: No latch achieved
1 point: Attempt latch, slips off or holds nipple in mouth
2 points: Latches on and maintains latch.
M = Milk ejection reflex
0 points: No objective or subjective signs.
1 point: Possible signs, uncertain or not noticed.
2 points: Obvious objective or subjective signs.
I = Infant State
0 points: Deep sleep or crying.
1 point : Drowsy.
2 points: Quiet/active alert
E = Effective suck/swallow
0 points: No sucking or swallowing
1 point: Some sucking and/or swallowing with stimulation
2 points: Spontaneous sucking bursts with swallowing.
Reviewed by: Ernesto Valdes, MD