In a post on 2-27 Kim Sweet wrote about cup feeding premies. I am very
 suspecious (which I can't even spell!) about cup feeding newborns. A child
younger than six months ( a designation which I believe premies and most NICU
babies fall under) does not have head control or the ability to propel a
bolus of milk from the anterior part of their mouth to the posterior pharnyx
in a safe and adequately functional manner sufficient for nourishment. Babies
do best when the bolus of milk is presented at the juncture of the hard and
soft palate, which is exactly where the end of mom's nipple is pulled to by
the tongue when baby is latched on properly. Which is why supplementers work
and baby's with poor tongue mobility have difficulty feeding. I would be very
interested in any published documentation on cup drinking in the NICU, and I
would wager the rest of the Lactnetter might also.

Regarding the Haberman feeders, thank you to Pat Bull for mentioning that
this feeding device is specifically designed to provide a gradation of flows.
If it is used properly, it can provide no flow unless the baby sucks on it,
and may be ideal for use with premies with A's and B's (apneas and
bradycardias) during bottle feeding who do not have the endurance or
behavioral maturation for breast feeding. The best thing to do with slow to
learn to feed babies is WAIT. Just like all children walk and talk on their
own internal clocks, so do infants learn to eat. Just because the literature
says that premies should be able to eat by 34- 36 weeks Gestational Age,
...... well more likely than not,  these babies did not read that chapter of
the book.

Debbie Rabin, OTR, CLC
Los Angeles, CA