Feeding The Premature Baby – Being Parents

It is very important to control the feeding of the premature baby. This will allow her to grow at a rate close to that of babies who remain in the womb until the expected term.

What is a premature baby?

Premature babies are defined as newborns less than 37 weeks gestation, starting from the first day after the date of the mother’s last period.

Although the definition of preterm infant is unanimous, the definition of subgroups of preterm infants is controversial. The terminology of the subgroups used is:

• Extreme premature : <28 weeks.
• Very early : 28 to <32 weeks.
• Moderate prematurity : 32 to <34 weeks.
• Late premature : 34 to 37 weeks.

Feeding the premature baby

The American Academy of Pediatrics Nutrition Committee has defined the ideal diet for premature babies. It is the one that allows intrauterine growth without stressing the immature metabolic and excretory functions.

Babies born before 34 to 37 weeks often have difficulty bottle or breast feeding because they have difficulty coordinating sucking, breathing and swallowing.

For this reason, very young infants may need to be fed and hydrated intravenously. As they get stronger, they may begin to receive breast milk or formula through a tube.

The tube is inserted into the stomach through the nose or mouth, called a nasogastric tube for enteral feeding. The amount of milk increases very slowly, especially in very premature babies. This lowers his risk of getting an infection in the gut called necrotizing enterocolitis.

Breast milk

Breast milk is the food best tolerated by premature babies. Their gastric emptying is faster and they suffer less retention than with artificial preparations. It is possible that the low osmolarity of breast milk, its species specificity and its defensive qualities help protect premature babies from necrotizing enterocolitis.

In addition, it seems proven that premature babies fed with breast milk who are subjected to the Mother Kangaroo method suffer less from nosocomial infections. These are children who stay in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers as early as possible, continuously and for as long as necessary.

The mother secretes specific immunoglobulins A. They protect the baby against germs on his skin and against germs in the neonatal area that it incorporates and which are responsible for nosocomial infections.

The composition of breast milk varies depending on whether it is breast milk from a term baby or breast milk from a premature baby. During the first 24 weeks, mothers of premature babies secrete milk whose composition adapts to the estimated nutritional needs of their children. Only their calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents are lower.

It is recommended to supplement this milk from the 4th to the 6th week. That is to say from the moment it becomes “mature”. This can be achieved through preparations containing proteins and minerals. Other supplements provide calcium and phosphorus. They aim to minimize low bone density and biochemical rickets. These two phenomena can occur in the first weeks of life of premature babies fed with their own mother’s milk.

The milk of the mother of a premature baby contains a series of amino acids necessary for the development of the central nervous system of the baby. In addition, it contains a number of substances that are important for the survival of the baby. The maternal breast is categorized as an immune organ because it contains them.

It also contains medium and long chain fatty acids which have been linked to a higher IQ. It contains more cholesterol than “mature” milk and much more than artificial preparations.

Other important factors in the diet of the premature baby

In premature babies, it is essential to control water requirements. These children have more difficulty maintaining a good water balance in their body. They can become dehydrated or overhydrated quite quickly.

Some babies will need to continue taking nutritional supplements after leaving the hospital. For breastfed babies, this may mean one or two bottles of fortified breast milk per day, as well as iron and vitamin D supplements.

Some babies will need more supplements than others. This includes babies who don’t have enough milk to get the calories they need to grow well.