I'm so excited that I wanted to share this with my 600+ colleagues - many of you who offered help and suggestions for this baby. He had a very high palate, underdeveloped jaw and was diagnosed as IUGR - asymetrical. Well, we went from cup feeding/syringe feeding (when he swallowed, which was not often) to small, soft red-preemie nipple feeding to breastfeeding during the last week. His facial appearance has changed dramatically and he now has a jaw, his palate is now down to a more normal position and he breastfeeds 3 times a day! We are still a ways from feeding himself 100% from the breast, but he has had only breast milk and the use of an SNS when he goes home will probably eliminate all bottles ( I still can't get the NICU RN's to do cup-feeding and in this little guy's case perhaps the bottle nipple is helping instead of hindering (is that sacrilegious?). His face has an "Abe Lincoln" appearance (wide forehead, drawn-in cheeks, pointy chin), and his body is still woefully small realtive to his large head. But seeing this baby at the breast sucking and swallowing, taking quiet breaks then sucking and swallowing again is beautiful! How I wish I had a VCR and we were allowed to take pictures to document the changes in this little one! Thanks again. Jeanette Panchula, BSW, LLLL, RN, IBCLC [log in to unmask]