OBJECTIVE: To describe the role of the speech therapist in enabling pediatric oral development in cardiac patients by encouraging breastfeeding. This study was performed in a pediatric intensive care unit with a 27-day-old male neonate who had undergone corrective cardiac surgery. The surgery involved prolonged mechanical ventilation with 3 failed exudations and the use of a nasoenteric tube for feeding from birth, all of which can influence the process of oral feeding. In the clinical assessment, search and oral sucking reflexes were not observed, and the biting and anterior gag reflexes were exacerbated. No abnormalities of the orofacial structures were detected, and during non-nutritive sucking, the neonate showed increased mandibular opening without labial and tongue protrusion. After speech therapy adequacy sensory-motor-oral stimulation and non-nutritive sucking for 4 meetings. Being held during the course of the consultation, assessment orally in the womb with improvement in the standard suction and cervical auscultation unchanged, but presented episodes of coughing during feeding. Thus, there was a speech therapist for 3 meetings to conduct training in oral womb. With progress, the patient was released to be breastfed on demand, and was discharged without requiring a nasoenteric tube for feeding. CONCLUSION: Through the attendance was possible to relation between the speech and breastfeeding promotion that enabled an improvement in conditions for readiness for breastfeeding.