Background: Feeding tubes and cup feedings were used as alternative feedings. There is scant data regarding the facilitation of latching on by newborns with the use of these alternative supporting techniques.
Objective: The comparison of the latching on of newborns when fed with the additional support of feeding tubes or cup
feedings.
Material and Method: The subjects were 120 normal, postpartum women, who delivered without complications at the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sririndhorn Medical Center in the Nakhon Nayok Province between October, 2012 and September,
2013. No breast milk was expressed by the mothers at day 2, postpartum. They were divided into two groups by simple
randomization. In the first group, the newborns were fed with a feeding tube in support of breastfeeding. In the second group,
the newborns were fed by cup feedings. Latch scores were assessed at the end of postpartum day 3. Demographic data and latch scores were collected and analyzed by Chi-square, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test.
Results: No differences in the demographic data of mothers and newborns between the two groups were found. Latch scores
for the feeding tube group were significantly higher than the latch scores in the cup feeding group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Latching of newborn after feeding tube method is better than latching of newborn after cup feeding.

Keywords: Feeding tube, Cup feeding, Latch score