This bachelor thesis deals with the effects of a non-oral ingestion via tube feeding on premature infants on the orofacial system. First there is a short review about tube feeding, particularly about which types of tubes are used in premature infants, the indications of tube feeding and the pros and cons. Secondly it contains an overview of the orofacial system, including the forms and functions and the pre- and postnatal development of the orofacial tract. Finally the effects of a non-oral ingestion with a tube are compiled and they will be discussed in the last part of the thesis. |