PURPOSE: The aim this present study is test the discriminate validation of preterm infant oral feeding readiness assessment scale propose by Fujinaga. METHODS: The study was observational descriptive. Participated 19 prematures. The instrument was applied with groove finger and was analyzed items: corrected gestational age; behavioral state; global posture and tonus; lips and tongue posture; rooting, suck, bite and gag reflexes; tongue and jaw movements; tongue cupping; sucking strain; sucking and pause; maintenance sucking/pause; maintenance alert state and stress signs. The test discriminate validation was analyzed the compare the performance of premature in the first evaluation (total gavage feeding) and in the second evaluation (total oral feeding), beyond verifying if significant statistics difference exists between first and second evaluation. The scores was compared with T test, with significance level 0,01. RESULTS: The results indicate that have a comportamental change in itens behavioral state, rooting and sucking reflex, tongue movement and cupping, jaw movement, sucking strain, sucking and pause, maintenance of the rhythm of sucking and pause, maintenance of alert state and stress signs. The comportment of itens global posture and tonus, lips and tongue posture, biting and gag reflex no varied. Ocurred statstics diference between the first an second evaluation scores. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm infant oral feeding readiness assessment scale propose by Fujinaga has discriminate validation.
Infant, premature; Feeding behavior; Validation studies
