Which feature distinguishes intermittent feeding from continuous feeding?

• A. Delivered in multiple, short-volume boluses, approximately every 4 hours, over about 20-30 minutes, 5-6 times daily.
• B. Delivered as a constant rate over 24 hours.
• C. Administered only at night.
• D. Delivered by gravity drip over several hours.

Answer: (A)

Intermittent feeding is defined by delivering nutrition in distinct bolus portions at set intervals rather than as a constant trickle. The pattern described—multiple short-volume boluses, roughly every 4 hours, each lasting about 20–30 minutes, totaling 5–6 feeds per day—fits this interval-bolus approach exactly. It mimics regular meals and pauses, which is the hallmark of intermittent feeding.

In contrast, a constant rate over 24 hours represents continuous feeding, where the formula is infused steadily without discrete, separated boluses. The idea of administering only at night points to a nocturnal feeding schedule, which is about timing rather than the dosing pattern. A gravity drip over several hours can also resemble a slow, continuous infusion rather than separate boluses. The key distinguishing feature is the individual bolus feeds at intervals, not a continuous infusion.