An Ecological Model for Premature Infant Feeding

Premature infants are at increased risk for poor health, feeding difficulties, and impaired mother-infant interaction, leading to developmental delay. Social-environmental risks, such as poverty or minority status, compound these biological risks, placing premature infants in double jeopardy. Guided by an ecological model, the Hospital-Home Transition: Optimizing Prematures' Environment intervention combines the auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention with participatory guidance provided by a nurse and community advocate to address the impact of multiple risk factors on premature infants' development.