Preliminary results from ongoing research at Falun Hospital in Sweden suggest that premature babies on neonatal wards can be discharged earlier when parents are responsible for feeding based on the child's hunger signals. This method, known as responsive feeding, is being studied in the first Swedish research project on the topic at the hospital's neonatal unit, conducted by researchers from Dalarna University. Unlike previous research where staff interpreted hunger signals, this study focuses on the active role of parents.
The majority of admitted patients at the clinic use the method, and during the study's first year, around 70 participants have responded to questionnaires, with parents being deeply interviewed and the research team comparing data on breastfeeding and growth before and after the introduction of responsive feeding. One example is Maya Johannesson and her son Milton, who was born two months prematurely and participated in the study at Falun Hospital, where his weight curve reportedly increased sharply.