I have read with interest the posts over the last several weeks
about needing to gavage full term infants for one reason or another to
protect them from aspirating (natal teeth and paralyzed vocal cords?).
Interesting-because in a previous life as a neonatal nurse, I hated to
gavage babies as they grew closer to term because they have such a
strong gag reflex as they develop neurologically.  It's hard to keep an
entire feeding down an intact  full term baby using a gavage tube and
scary seeing the entire feeding come right back up.  I would think the
risk of aspirating due to the gavage feeding is as great (probably
greater) than the risk of breastfeeding. (It's not like they can't
swallow the teeth just with normal saliva swallowing, is it?)  Gavage
feeding a baby with a paralyzed vocal cord and having the feeding come
back up sounds even scarier.
Pam Rardon RNC, BSN, ICCE, IBCLC