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This paper emphasizes the importance of orality in the development of the at-risk infant. The medical treatments of children with very low birth weight are intense, often requiring the use of assisted breathing and feeding techniques, which impact such babies’ vital oral functions. This paper is based on a study that attempts to identify the negative effects of the intensive medical environment on the oral development of premature babies. The sample included 52 children born at the Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre in Lille and who were resuscitated in the neonatal intensive care unit. These children were assessed at three-and-a-half years of age. Their parents underwent a semi-structured interview about the oral development of their children. A report of the medical neonatal data was drawn up based on medical files and notes. The results revealed significant disorders in oral behavior during the first years of life, deviant feeding behavior, and delayed verbal production. Feeding is directly affected by the length of assisted ventilation and a strange specific sensitivity of the buccal area is pointed out. The paper intends to shed light on the oral aspects of infant maturity and suggests adopting a preventative attitude.