Cup feeding associated with longer hospital stays

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

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

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

Very interesting, thanks for the article!

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

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

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

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Specializes in NICU.

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.

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

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Specializes in NICU.

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...

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

Interesting!

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Specializes in NICU.

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

Thanks for the interesting article!

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Specializes in PICU/NICU.

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

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

I have never even heard of that?!

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Specializes in NICU.

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

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