Cup feeding associated with longer hospital stays

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Saw this posted at work. Average 10 day longer stay for cup fed babies!!?? I can imagine insurance companies pitching fits about that!

Of course this was a study with premature infants, not term infants.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417194215.htm

[crissrn27, RN]

Very interesting, thanks for the article!

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

I wish there was a study on "nipple confusion" done concurrently.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

That's a very interesting article. I hate cup feeding, personally.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

Interesting!

Honestly I think cup/syringe feeding is one of the most barbaric things, and the fact that hospitals allow it is crazy!

I wish they'd do a big study on nipple confusion as well. I think when we look back on nipple confusion/syringe and cup feeds it's gonna be one of those things people just can't believe we ever believed in such a crazy idea! At least that's what I think about the whole thing.

[oramar]

I never heard of such a thing till this moment. Cup feeding a newborn??????

[cc_nurse]

Our premies all most always start out with gavage feeds then progress to bottle/breast. Our first po feeds are almost always done by a nurse with a bottle to assess readiness and tolerance. I just cannot imagine cup feeding an infant, I haven't seen a case of nipple confusion yet that wasn't easily rectified by time and patience...

[Marie.C]

I have done cup feeding with term babies when they're not able to breastfeed but never with a preterm.

Interesting!

[ilstu99]

I didn't even know people did this. I can't even picture it very well!

Thanks for the interesting article!

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

cup feeding........... UUUGH! Don''t get me started! I too, wish there was a current study on "nipple confusion".

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

I have never even heard of that?!

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

So... does the baby like, lap it out of the cup like a cat? How does this even work?