Our hospital is working on a Breastfeeding Standard of Care for the Healthy Newborn. The Standard is written and has been reviewed by our Pediatricians. One of their requests is that we include a statement about how an infant is assessed for "Hunger" (sigh!!!!)

 

My 'action assignment' is to provide information about the origin of 'hunger' as a distinct sensation felt by a healthy newborn. One of my missions as a hospital LC has been to delete the words "hungry, still hungry and starving" from the vocabulary of nurses, parents, friends and relatives in the hospital setting. I have always understood that the need for closeness and sucking are the stimuli for newborn feeding requests, and that hunger as a distinct sensation follows the ingestion of increasing volumes of milk with subsequent digestion and emptying of the stomach. 

 

Can anyone correct me if I don't have this right and/ or help me find references that define the origin of the sensation of hunger in the newborn infant?

Looking forward to learning the answer!
Amy Mueller, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Traverse City, Michigan USA

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