> Any good NICU nurse can bottle-feed a ROCK - the baby only has to swallow 
> (and breathe occasionally).  Breastfeeding requires an active infant effort, even 
> with a good maternal milk supply.
> The point is - we shouldn't be force-feeding any infant, but we do - to get 
> them home faster and save money (in the short term).
> 

In the short term is right! (And thanks for pointing this out!) With the lit review my colleague and I are doing in writing up our teat flow trial, we've learned that what isn't known and how health professionals aren't taught re: the bottle-feeding process via-a-vis infant oral/airway safety becomes recognized as a huge and interesting void. (My personal favorite info describes what the author calls "adaptive" sucking behavior that actually points out the maladaptiveness of the behavior.)  The long-term potential effects re: oral aversion, eating "disorder" and GI disturbance seems to be missed completely -- or almost so. 

To "feed a rock" that actually is a human being with personality and feelings = risk oral/airway physical and emotional distress and sucking "adaptation" that is species maladaptive. How proud all those staff members should be about their concern with their little patients' well-being.

Personally, I find the lack of evidence-based info and skill provision re: safe bottle-feeding to be appalling, especially because it appears to reflect an acceptance of status quo ignorance. 

Karen

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