Faith Keister
Project: Identifying factors that help babies born early breastfeed when they go home
“I continue to be surprised and inspired by the incredible resilience of preterm infants and their families. Through time spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic, I have seen the challenges these families navigate with remarkable strength and hope. These experiences have reinforced that behind every data point is a baby and a family, deepening my appreciation for the importance of research that improves feeding, development and long-term outcomes.”
Summary: Feeding is one of the most critical skills a newborn must develop, directly influencing growth, brain development and readiness for discharge from hospital. It is also the greatest source of stress for families preparing to take their babies home. When babies are born very early (before 33 weeks of pregnancy), they often face challenges learning how to eat and breathe at the same time. In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), one of the most important goals for families is to have their baby breastfeeding successfully by the time they are ready to go home. However, data shows that only around 22 per cent of babies born before 34 weeks are exclusively breastfed when they leave the hospital.
To help with this, the Royal Alexandra Hospital uses a program called the Positive Oral Experiences Training Initiative (POETrI). The POETrI program helps babies born before 33 weeks learn how to eat in a safe, positive way. When a baby shows signs of hunger, they receive small "practice" sessions. The goal of POETrI is to give the newborn as many chances as possible to practice breastfeeding before leaving the NICU.
It is important that babies are not rushed through the stages of the program. If they move to the next stage too soon, their feeding often becomes inconsistent. They might eat a lot during one feedl but then get too tired to eat during the next one. Babies who still need help with breathing are at the highest risk because it takes a lot of energy to breathe and eat at the same time.
This project will help us understand the best timing and methods to support breastfeeding. Ultimately, our goals are to help more families leave the NICU feeling confident and successful with breastfeeding, and to give babies the best possible start in life. Our findings will be shared with doctors, nurses and parents to make the journey from the hospital to home more successful for everyone.
Faith Keister was supervised by Dr. Matt Hicks in the Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Her WCHRI summer studentship was funded by the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. She is enrolled in the University of Alberta’s doctor of medicine program.
Read more about WCHRI’s training awards for students at all levels and generous grants for researchers. See the rest of the 2026 summer studentship recipients here.
