Hospital In-Person Training
The Neonatal Eating Outcome (NEO) Assessment Training Course:
Oral feeding is one of the most complex tasks that an infant must master, and poor oral feeding is often the reason that preterm or medically complex infants experience prolonged hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). An infant’s ability to take all feedings by mouth without supplemental means of nutrition is contingent upon multiple factors including arousal, reflex maturation, sensory and motor function, and coordination of suck–swallow–breathe synchrony. Due to medical factors, as well as immaturity of body systems, preterm and sick infants face challenges with oral feeding, which can lead to altered nutritional status, poorer developmental outcome, and difficulty with parent/child bonding.
Appropriate treatment of high risk infants with feeding problems relies on valid and reliable assessments to guide intervention. The Neonatal Eating Outcome (NEO) is a standardized feeding tool used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to comprehensively assess neonatal feeding and dysphagia. This assessment is unique not only due to its comprehensive nature, but also in that it assigns scores based on the current post-menstrual age, versus comparing preterm infants to infants at term equivalent age.
This course will cover the basics of neonatal feeding, including pre-feeding skills assessment, medical factors that affect feeding performance and decision making, and cultural components of feeding. Participants will learn assessment of arousal/state organization, oral tone, oral motor skills, sucking patterns, suck-swallow-breathe coordination, bolus control/safety of swallow, respiratory control in feeding, and behavioral responses to feeding. Evaluation of these elements using the NEO will be taught in detail, as well as scoring, interpretation, and documentation of results. Treatment strategies based on NEO results will also be discussed.
Audience: This course in an introductory – intermediate level course for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists with an interest in learning the foundational skills of evaluating and treating feeding in the high risk infant in the hospital or community setting.
One day workshop including breaks between sections and for lunch.
Hospital training enables learning of the assessment but also real-world assessment of infants in the NICU or labor and delivery floor.
Number of participants is unlimited, but groups smaller than 12 will yield the best benefits.
Tentative Schedule:
*Training is tailored to the site, but this is an example:
7:00am - 9:30am
Overview of feeding
Medical conditions & complications impacting feeding
Body systems supporting feeding
Phases of swallowing
Common feeding progression in preterm infants
Changes that occur shortly after the neonatal period (reflexes and anatomical)
Formulas, modes of nutrition, and modes of oral feeding
Breastfeeding considerations
Feeding equipment
Infant readiness
Assessment of feeding and available assessment tools
9:30am - 9:45am
Break
9:45am - 10:15am
Feeding interventions
Questions
10:15am - 12:15pm
Introduction to the NEO
NEO Section 1: Evaluation of pre-feeding behaviors*
NEO Section 2: Evaluation of oral feeding*
NEO Section 3: Observations at the end of feed*
Putting it all together: Scoring entirety of feeding*
NEO Section 4: Non-scored items
Video analysis
12:15pm - 1:00pm
Lunch
1:00pm - 3:00pm
NEO Scoring Practice*
*Includes video examples and/or case studies or in-person in the NICU
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected]
