What is the standard for weight gain in premature babies?

We all know that premature birth is caused by the baby being born before full term in the mother's womb. In this way, the baby's birth weight will be very low, and some organs in the body have not yet fully developed. This is particularly likely to cause some problems for the child. However, special attention must be paid when taking care of premature babies. Parents need to be particularly careful to ensure that premature babies can grow up healthily. Let's take a look at the weight gain standards for premature babies.

Weight gain standards for premature infants

Premature babies tend to be underweight. Generally speaking, the weight of premature babies is mostly below 2500g and the head circumference is below 33cm. A small number of premature infants weigh more than 2,500g and their organ function and adaptability are worse than those of full-term infants. They should still be given special care.

Any baby whose birth weight is reduced to below the 10th percentile of normal weight for gestational age or two standard deviations below the mean due to factors such as placental insufficiency is called a small for gestational age baby (small for gestational age, poorly mature baby). Babies with a birth weight of less than 2,500g are collectively referred to as low-weight babies, and those with a birth weight of less than 1,500g are referred to as extremely low-weight babies, including premature babies and those small for gestational age.

1. Premature babies need breast milk more. The richer antibodies and nutrients in breast milk will protect your baby from many infections that premature babies are more susceptible to. Breast milk is easier to digest and will not put extra burden on the baby's already fragile stomach like formula milk. The baby's utilization rate of fat and protein in breast milk is much higher than that in formula. Moreover, for premature babies, eating breast milk is less labor-intensive than eating formula. Premature babies who are fed with breast milk grow better than those who are fed with formula, and the phenomenon of apnea (suffocation) is significantly reduced.

2. Control the amount and frequency of feeding. Because premature babies have poor digestive ability and small stomach capacity, but they need a lot of energy every day, they can only be fed in batches. For example: For premature infants weighing less than 1500 grams, feed every 2 hours, with an initial amount of 4 ml. If the response is good after feeding, 2 ml can be increased each time, but the maximum increase per day is 16 ml. For premature infants weighing more than 1500 grams, feed every 3 hours, and increase or decrease as appropriate. During the day, between feedings, a small amount of glucose water should be fed. It should be noted that after each feeding, it is best to let the baby lie on his side to avoid suffocation due to spitting up milk.

3. Calculation formula for food intake of premature infants Daily breastfeeding amount (ml) of premature infants within 10 days after birth = (actual number of days since birth + 10) × body weight (g) / 100 Daily breastfeeding amount (ml) after 10 days = 1/5~1/4 body weight (g)

4. Replenish nutrients in time. Premature babies should also supplement vitamin E in the early stages. After half a month, 5 drops of concentrated vitamin A and D preparations can be used daily.

The above is an introduction to the weight gain standards for premature babies. After understanding it, I hope it will be of some help to the parents of premature babies. In addition, each child’s physical condition and constitution are different, so parents should not be too harsh when taking care of their babies. As long as the child’s growth range is within the normal range, parents must be particularly careful when taking care of their babies. If any abnormality is found, they must consult a doctor in time.