A new tool for measuring the suckling stimulus during breastfeeding in humans: the orokinetogram and the Fourier series | JoVE Visualize

A new tool for measuring the suckling stimulus during breastfeeding in humans: the orokinetogram and the Fourier series

L M Voloschin¹, O Althabe, H Olivé

¹Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Neuroendocrinología de la Reproducción Humana (LINERH), Hospital General de Agudos Dr Carlos G. Durand, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Journal of Reproduction and Fertility|March 10, 1999

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Fourier analysis of infant breastfeeding movements reveals two distinct oral actions: slow high amplitude (SHA) and fast low amplitude (FLA). FLA movements expand the oral movement frequency bandwidth, offering new insights into infant suckling dynamics.

Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Human Physiology
Infant Nutrition

Background:

Breastfeeding involves complex infant oral movements crucial for milk intake.
Previous methods for analyzing suckling lacked non-invasive, quantitative approaches.
Understanding these movements can illuminate infant feeding dynamics and development.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and validate a novel, non-invasive method for analyzing infant oral movements during breastfeeding using Fourier analysis.
To quantify and characterize different types of oral movements during suckling.
To explore the frequency bandwidth and energy distribution of these movements.

Main Methods:

Utilized an orokinetogram to record infant oral movements non-invasively.
Applied Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for storage, quantification, and frequency analysis of oral movements.
Categorized movements into slow high amplitude (SHA) and fast low amplitude (FLA) based on their characteristics.

Main Results:

Identified two primary oral movement types: SHA and FLA, with FLA potentially aiding milk expression.
Determined a wider oral movement frequency bandwidth (0-8 Hz) than previously reported (0-3 Hz) due to FLA.
Observed that SHA and FLA movements are more intense during continuous suckling, with peak energy in the first 2 minutes.

Conclusions:

The novel FFT-based orokinetogram method provides a quantitative analysis of infant suckling.
FLA movements represent a significant component of oral activity during breastfeeding, expanding the known frequency range.
This methodology enables further research into the role of suckling in infant development and mother-infant interactions.