the sucking by newborns and young babies of items which do not render milk, in order, for instance, to elicit calm or aid sleep. The sucking reflex hence plays a role in the growth of emotional control and individual-regulation. Nonnutritive sucking has been utilized in research analyses as a way of deducing infant inclinations, by viewing variations in sucking rate as infants are presented with varied stimulants.
NONNUTRITIVE SUCKING: “Babies will often engage in nonnurtitive sucking while still inutero.”