The baby is underweight, can I give formula milk?

Babies who are underweight are more susceptible to various diseases which will certainly hinder their growth and development. Babies who are underweight must be treated immediately. Then, can formula milk be relied on to make babies gain weight? Can formula feeding be used for underweight babies?

What causes the baby to be underweight?

Underweight babies at birth can be caused by various problems that occur during pregnancy. This condition is called low birth weight (LBW). There are several things that cause a LBW baby:

• Maternal nutritional status during pregnancy is not normal, tends to be less.
• Experiencing complications during pregnancy.
• The pregnancy is close to the birth of the previous child.
• Overall maternal health condition.
• Mother's age is too young, or less than 21 years.

All of these things can cause a baby to be born with a weight that is low or less than 2500 grams. Meanwhile, underweight that occurs in babies aged 1-6 months can be caused by:

• Infectious disease. Babies who experience infection, whether it's due to a viral or bacterial infection are more often found to be malnourished as well.
• The food given cannot meet his needs. This condition not only makes the baby underweight, but also susceptible to infection.

Can I give formula milk to gain weight for babies who are underweight?

There are still many mothers who think that formula milk is better for their babies, so that their growth and development are good. In fact, many studies have stated that breast milk is the best food for babies. Exclusive breastfeeding is highly recommended until the baby is 6 months old and continued with complementary feeding until the child is 2 years old.

Breastmilk is still the best food and is easily digested by babies younger than 6 months, even if they are underweight. Things that need to be considered are the quality and quantity of the mother's own breast milk, the better the quality and quantity of breast milk, the baby's needs for food will be fulfilled properly.

If the quality of my breastmilk is not good enough, can it be replaced with formula milk?

Breast milk depends on the food consumed and the nutritional status of the mother. These two things not only affect the quality, but also the quantity of breast milk. However, the fact is that even if a mother is malnourished, she will still be able to produce good quality and quantity of breast milk.

This is because the mother's body will prioritize breast milk production rather than repairing her malnourished body. So breast milk will be made from the leftovers of the food reserves that are in the mother's body. thus, it is almost impossible for a mother to have poor quality milk.

Therefore, do not worry too much about the quality of your breast milk and continue to provide your beloved baby with the milk that is produced. If you are having difficulty producing breast milk or milk is not coming out, you can consult a nutritionist to help plan a meal that is right for you.

Formula milk can be given by a doctor if your baby is underweight than it should be.

Then, which one takes precedence? Breast milk or formula?

Until recently, breast milk is the easiest food to digest and is good for babies younger than 6 months. However, there are several conditions that make the baby should be given formula milk and that determines this is the medical team who treats your baby.

And if the baby is forced to be given formula milk, you should first consult this problem with a nutritionist, because planning to overcome malnutrition in babies must be done properly. Incorrectly giving formula milk, it will cause other problems for the baby.

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