Surface Electromyography in Premature Infants: A Series of Case Reports and Their Methodological Aspects

Objectives To analyze the development of a method for using Surface Electromyography (sEMG) to evaluate the suckling of premature infants and describe five case reports. Methods The five premature infants who took part in the study were submitted to sEMG evaluation of the masseter and buccinator muscles during different feeding methods. Results Higher masseter muscle activity was observed in the infants that breastfed or used a cup; masseter muscle activity was reduced and buccinator muscle activity was increased in infants who were fed artificially using only a bottle. Conclusions Masseter action was reduced in bottle-fed infants, and there were similarities in masseter activity during breastfeeding and cup-feeding.