Buldur et al. (2020) found that finger feeding was an effective means of transitioning preterm infants from enteral (tube) to full breastfeeding. Researchers divided medically stable infants at 30-35 weeks of age into a syringe feeding cohort and a finger feeding cohort. The infants were fed using the syringe or finger feeding for 20 minutes, four times a day, for 10 days. While both groups at discharge were fully breastfed, the finger feeding group attained it faster, gained more weight, and had a shortened length of stay in the hospital. Additionally, they showed less signs of discomfort after feeding.
Buldur, E., Baltaci, N.Y., Terek, D., Yalaz, M., Koroglu, O.A., Akisu, M., & Kultursay, N. (2020). Comparison of the finger feeding method versus syringe feeding method in supporting sucking skills of preterm babies. Breastfeeding Medicine. Vol. 15, No. 11. 703-708.
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