RESUMO
Objective To explore effects of non-nutritive sucking ( NNS) on various aspects of neonates.Methods 58 cases refusing oral feeding were selected from June 2012 to June 2013 in our hospital with no significant differences in weight, gastrointestinal function and sleep (p>0.05).The specimen was randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group.The experimental group was given with NNS.Weight gain, quiet time to fall asleep, sleep time and gastro-intestinal disorders were observed and recorded in both two groups.One month later, the data recorded from both two groups were processed and analyzed statistically.Results The weight gain in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p>0.05).The quiet time to fall asleep in the experimental group was shorter than that in the con-trol group (p>0.05).The sleep time in the experimental group was longer than that in the control group (p>0.05).The incidence of gastrointestinal disorders in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( p >0.05).Conclusion Non-nutritive sucking in neonates can accelerate weight gain, improve sleep quality and reduce the in-cidence of gastrointestinal disorders to promote the growth and development of newborns to some extent .