What is one common challenge neonates face with feeding orally?

Neonates often face challenges in developing the necessary oral feeding skills, particularly the coordination required for the suck-swallow-breath reflex. This triad is critical for successful feeding; the infant must be able to suck effectively to draw milk from the breast or bottle, swallow the milk to prevent aspiration, and breathe simultaneously to avoid choking.

In the early days of life, many neonates, especially preterm infants, may have underdeveloped oral motor skills that hinder their ability to feed adequately. This lack of coordination can lead to difficulty in establishing a reliable feeding pattern, which can impact their overall nutrition and growth.

While factors like inadequate appetite, overactive reflexes, and fluid intake can play a role in feeding challenges, they are not as central to the specific oral feeding challenges that pertain to how neonates manage the basic physiological aspects of eating. Thus, the difficulty in achieving the suck-swallow-breath coordination is a more defining challenge faced by neonates during oral feeding.