Good morning, colleagues!  I have an issue that I've been mulling over for
awhile regarding suck training.  Some clinicians with whom I work will tell
mothers to use a pacifier to "train the baby to suck".  I have reviewed the
archives and there have been wonderful comments on trying nothing but the
breast for the first 24 hours or so to allow the baby to get the feel of
just those particular breasts in her mouth, using clean (mother's)/gloved
(clinician's) fingers, sometimes nipple shields, and referring to an
occupational therapist (OT)for training.  My questions are:

1.  is there literature on when and how to suck train?
2.  what strategies above and beyond what's mentioned above does an OT have
to help a newborn learn to suck?  What do they do with the babies?
3.  beyond informing mothers and colleagues of the reasons to avoid
pacifiers in early days, and that babies do not suck on a pacifier the way
they do at the breast therefore a pacifier does not train a baby to suck at
the breast, is there anything else I can say?

Thanks.

Wanda Mertick, RN, MN, IBCLC
Port Matilda, PA

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