Go back to a Widstrom article that may have been the first I saw raising this problem. Ref iS; Widstrom A-M, et al Gastric suction in healthy newborn infants ACTA PAEDIATR SCAND 76:566-72, 1987 From my abstract: fround that in normal term infants, hand-to-mouth, rooting, and suckling tend to occur in a well-organized sequence within the first hour of birth. When babies are gastric suctioned, this sequence is disturbed and delayed. Authors recommend not suctioning without cause. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% "We are all faced with a series of great %% %% opportunities brilliantly disguised as %% %% impossible situations" - definition of a %% %% lactation consulting service. %% %% Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC %% %% [log in to unmask] Homewood, Illinois USA %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%