Feeding, learning and giggling: UNM's baby gap clinic
October 25, 2023 - Savannah Peat
The University of New Mexico is home to all types of learners. From 18-year-olds fresh out of high school, to retirees dipping their toes back in, to everyone in between, UNM has lessons and experiences for all–that includes students who don’t even know their ABC’s.
These little babies are pupils of the UNM Speech & Hearing Sciences Gap Clinic. Launched as an expansion of its feeding clinic in 2021, the Gap Clinic focuses on the gap between neonatal intensive care and early intervention care.
“These babies for various reasons have difficulties with feeding. For some who have a complicated start, it may take a couple of months to develop the skills needed to safely and efficiently eat. Some may be readmitted to the hospital or develop more serious complications around feeding if not provided support. Without support those issues could go on for a really long time, so I wanted to do something that would fill the gap between the great support they receive in the NICU and Early Intervention. Thus the Baby Feeding Gap clinic arose,” Gap Clinic Director and Speech & Hearing Sciences Clinical Instructor Andrea Martinez-Fisher said.
The purpose is to serve a variety of needs for a variety of ages, all centered on alleviating challenges related to feeding safety and efficiency.
“Sometimes they're sent home from the hospital without a solid plan in place, this may be due to not having a provider in their rural town, or needing more time to grow and develop, becoming stronger. Often they need to either work on becoming a little bit more stable with their breathing or they're un-interested in eating,” Martinez-Fisher said. “For many reasons, they've had a pretty traumatic start, so it’s providing assistance to the caregivers and infant so they can safely eat and grow or begin eating for the first time.”
View full story at UNM Newsroom
