Up to 42% of infants born preterm experience a brain injury, which is a major cause of long-term developmental delays that affect the quality of life of children and their families. Early identification of brain injury, when treatment can be most effective, remains a challenge in clinical practice. Currently, brain injuries in preterm infants are detected using brain imaging, including ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, not all neonatal intensive care units in Canada have access to MRI.
As a result, many infants must be transported to other hospitals for advanced imaging, which increases health-care costs and adds stress for families. An accessible and cost-effective approach to detecting neonatal brain injury is critically needed. Sucking skill may serve as an early indicator of brain injury because it is controlled by a complex network in the brain. When this network is disrupted by a brain injury, infants often have difficulty with sucking. Importantly, sucking skills can be measured at the bedside using simple low-cost tools. Therefore, sucking performance may provide an early window into an infant’s brain function. This research project aims to determine whether sucking measures can serve as early warning signs of brain injury in preterm infants. Identifying reliable sucking markers would help clinicians recognize infants who need further testing or treatment sooner. Ultimately, this approach could reduce disparities in early brain injury detection and improve developmental outcomes for all infants across Canada.
