What kind of milk powder should premature babies eat after three months?
Premature babies are babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Because their bodies are not fully developed at birth, premature babies are more susceptible to a variety of health problems. In order to ensure that premature babies can grow up healthily, daily nutritional intake is particularly critical. After three months of premature infants, besides breast milk, which milk powder is most suitable for premature infants? Let’s find out together below.
In terms of nutrition, what do premature babies need?
Premature babies\’ bodies are not fully developed and are prone to lack of various nutrients. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to supplementing the following five types of energy, protein, fat, vitamins and trace elements.
Energy: The energy needs of premature infants are more than 50% higher than that of full-term infants, so they need to consume more high-energy foods, such as animal foods with high nutrition and fatty acid content.
Protein: Premature infants catabolize protein at a faster rate and therefore require more protein to support proper growth and development.
Fat: Premature infants have insufficient fat metabolism, and fat is the main energy source to maintain the body temperature of premature infants. The lack of fat will lead to problems such as poor weight gain and malnutrition in premature infants.
Vitamins and trace elements: Preterm infants have low levels of vitamins and trace elements and require additional supplements to support the immune system and the normal functioning of various body systems.
Which milk powder is suitable for premature babies?
For premature babies over three months old, breastfeeding or formula milk are both viable options. If breast milk is insufficient or unable to feed, milk powder suitable for premature infants should be selected. Choose the appropriate milk powder for premature infants based on the baby\’s weight at birth to meet the special needs of the premature infant\’s body.
Specialized premature infant milk powder: Most brands of premature infant milk powder currently on the market are suitable for premature infants weighing 1.5-2.5 kg. This type of milk powder usually adds a variety of elements to meet the special needs of premature infants. Specially formulated milk powder for premature infants can not only meet the intestinal nutritional needs of premature infants such as energy, protein, but also strengthen their immunity and other aspects.
For extremely low-weight premature infants whose birth weight is less than 1.5 kilograms, they need to use special low-calcium, low-fat, and high-protein milk powder specially supplied by the hospital and modified by professional nutritionists to meet their special needs.
How to feed premature babies milk powder?
When you first start feeding premature infants milk powder, you need to follow the following principles:
1. It is best not to exceed 50ml of milk each time. As the weight and physical strength of the premature infant gradually increase, the amount of milk should be increased appropriately;
2. When feeding, do not let the milk flow too fast. It is best to use a more close-fitting nipple and control the angle of feeding;
3. Do not store baby bottles placed at room temperature for too long, especially if they have been accidentally dropped. Replace them with new ones in a timely manner.
Conclusion
The nutrition of premature infants requires extra attention and supplementation, and appropriate milk powder should be selected for supplementary feeding to ensure that premature infants can grow up healthily. Choose the milk powder that best suits the nutritional needs of premature infants and reasonably control the amount and angle of feeding.It can effectively prevent insufficient breast milk during lactation. At the same time, we also need to pay attention to the following problems: the problem of feeding in the later period, the problem of decayed milk teeth and malnutrition. In short, we should seize the golden period of premature babies and lay the foundation for their subsequent healthy growth.
