Table of weight of premature babies, how to explain?

Not only adults, babies also have an ideal body weight measurement which will later become a benchmark for their development. This also affects babies born prematurely. It should be noted that the development of babies born normally with premature babies has differences. Check out the explanation on the weight table for premature babies so you can see how they are progressing.

Things that affect premature babies

Quoted through Stanford Chidren's Health, babies born earlier or before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered premature or born too early. Until now, there is no definite explanation regarding the causes of premature births.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with staying vigilant and maintaining your health to prevent premature babies.

However, what can be seen immediately from premature babies is the size and weight that is not like babies born at the age they should.

In addition, because they do not get the maximum nutrition until the time they are born, there is the possibility that the baby will experience certain health problems.

Premature babies also have health conditions that are quite complicated, unpredictable, and have a risk of complications.

What is the weight table for premature babies?

As explained a little above, babies are classified as premature if they are born before 37 weeks.

Usually, even premature babies experience low birth weight, which is less than 2.5 kg. Therefore, intensive care is needed to achieve a normal baby weight.

Moreover, in 2006, WHO issued a standard growth curve to describe the growth of children aged 0-59 months. This is claimed to be necessary to support and monitor children's growth optimally.

Even so, the birth of premature babies cannot be avoided.

This can be seen from the table of weight of premature babies according to the Lubchenco curve, which also makes weight groups according to gestational age divided as follows:

• Small gestation period (KMK). If the baby is born under the 10th percentile, it is a baby weighing 0.5 kg to 2.5 kg.
• According to the period of pregnancy. If the baby is born weighing between the 10th and 90th percentile. It is a baby weighing 2.7 kg to 3.7 kg.
• The size of the pregnancy. When the baby is born over the 90th percentile on the fetal growth curve.

Explanation of the table

In the Lubchenco curve or weight table for premature babies, babies who are between 24 and 37 weeks can be said to be preterm.

In 2013 WHO statistical data, there are at least 1.5 million babies in Indonesia born prematurely.

Not only that, the table of weight for premature babies also shows the gestation period. Gestation is the time span from the fertilization process of the egg to the birth process.

If the weight in premature babies is below 1500 grams, the mortality rate can reach 25 to 50%.

When viewed from the weight table of premature babies, underweight is one of the characteristics of premature babies. Things that can be done besides maintaining a balance of temperature is to provide fluids and nutrients through the intravenous (IV) line.

Then, the baby will be treated in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which is useful for adding weight to the premature baby's body, breathing well, and learning to breastfeed.

Not only from the weight table for premature babies, later you will be given a notebook with a growth chart to help the baby grow. Later this notebook will also be used as a guide and comparison to see its progress.

How to gain weight for premature babies

Judging from the table, the weight of premature babies is quite low. Therefore, it requires proper care for premature babies and certain ways so that the weight on the premature baby's body can also increase.

Under many conditions, premature babies usually require special care after birth, namely further observation of their condition in the NICU room or perina.

Therefore, this special treatment is needed until she is under enough weight and there are no breathing difficulties so she can be treated at home.

The thing to note is that the body and organs of premature babies still need to adapt to the environment around them.

Here are some things you can do to gain weight premature babies:

1. Provide breast milk intake

Just like babies with normal births, premature babies also need breast milk from the mother. Not only to add nutrition, breast milk can also protect babies from infection.

Don't worry, even though you can breastfeed a premature baby directly, there are still other ways to give breast milk, namely by using a special bottle or tube.

This special bottle or tube has a very soft texture and goes straight to the stomach.

Apart from using a bottle, breast milk to add weight to the premature baby's body can also be given through cup special. Most premature babies need 8 to 10 breastfeeds a day.

2. Give supplements or special formula milk

Premature babies do not get enough nutrients including vitamins and minerals that should be obtained in the last weeks in the womb.

To gain weight in premature babies, supplements are needed that can increase endurance. This supplement contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, as well as folic acid.

In certain cases, premature babies can also get special formula milk intake if the milk has not yet come out of the breast. Special formula milk for premature babies is claimed to provide the content the body needs similar to breast milk.

Conclusions

Ideally, the weight on the premature baby will increase and correspond to the normal birth weight about 14 days after birth. But under certain conditions, the time can also be longer.

At least, the weight of premature babies can gain 5 grams a day for children born at 24 weeks.

Meanwhile, the weight gain in premature babies is generally 20 grams a day for babies with birth at 33 weeks.

However, premature babies will gain at least about 15 grams per day or 112 to 200 grams each week until they are 4 months old.

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