Do premature babies need to drink premature milk powder? What kind of milk is best for premature babies?

Premature babies are special babies who need more careful care from their parents. Today, let me introduce to you whether premature babies need to drink premature infant milk powder. Do premature babies need special milk powder to feed? Or can they just drink breast milk? Let's talk to you in detail below.

Do premature babies need to drink premature milk powder?

What kind of milk is good for premature babies?

Because premature babies are born prematurely, their nutritional reserves are congenitally insufficient, and they need more nutrients to grow rapidly after birth. On the other hand, their gastrointestinal tract is not yet mature and their digestion and absorption ability is poor, so premature babies need special treatment. So what kind of milk can meet their needs?

1. Premature breast milk The caloric density of premature breast milk is 67kcal/100ml, but the composition is different from that of full-term breast milk. Premature breast milk has a high protein content, which is conducive to the rapid growth needs of premature infants; the high proportion of whey protein is conducive to digestion and accelerated gastric emptying; the fat and lactose content is low and easy to absorb; the sodium salt is high, which is conducive to replenishing the loss of premature infants; calcium and phosphorus are easily absorbed, which is conducive to bone development. Compared with formula feeding, gastric emptying is faster after breastfeeding. Certain components in breast milk, including hormones, peptides, amino acids, and glycoproteins, play a certain role in the maturation of the small intestine. Lactoferrin, lysozyme, secretory IgA, and interferon in premature breast milk help protect premature infants from infections including sepsis and meningitis, which is very beneficial for the high-risk group of premature infants. Breastfeeding can reduce the occurrence of necrotizing enterocolitis, which may be related to the protective effect of secretory IgA on the digestive tract and the oligosaccharides in breast milk that prevent bacteria from adhering to the host's digestive tract mucosa. Premature breast milk is rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as DHA) and taurine, which is 1.5 to 2 times that of mature breast milk, and promotes the development of the retina and central nervous system of premature infants. Direct breastfeeding can enhance the emotional communication between mother and child, and enhance maternal love and confidence. Current evidence shows that the longer the breastfeeding time, the lower the chance of developing metabolic syndrome (obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases) in the future. All of the above benefits can positively affect the health and long-term prognosis of premature infants. However, for premature babies with small gestational age and low birth weight, the nutrients including protein and minerals taken in by pure breastfeeding are not enough for their growth, and the growth rate is slow, which may cause bone dysplasia and metabolic bone disease. Therefore, human milk fortifiers (HMF) are often used abroad to ensure their nutritional needs for rapid growth. Breast milk fortifiers contain protein, minerals and vitamins, which are added to breast milk in a certain ratio and fed to babies (never drink it directly with water or add it to milk powder). During the hospitalization of premature infants, when they tolerate exclusive breastfeeding, breast milk fortifiers can be added. Generally, fortified breast milk formulated according to standards can increase its caloric density to 80-85kcal/100 ml. There are many commercial products of breast milk fortifiers abroad, but they have not yet been introduced to China.

2. Premature formula This is a formula specially designed for premature babies during hospitalization. The caloric density is 80 kcal/100 ml. Its characteristics are: (1) High protein content, with a whey protein to casein ratio of 60:40 or 70:30, which provides sufficient cystine. (2) Medium-chain fatty acids account for 40% of the fat, which is easy to digest and absorb. The high linoleic acid content is beneficial to promote the growth and development of infant brain cells. (3) Carbohydrates contain 40% lactose and 60% polydextrose, which provide the required calories without increasing blood osmotic pressure. (4) The sodium content is increased to supplement the increased sodium excretion of premature infants. (5) The calcium content is 3 times that of normal breast milk, making Ca:P close to ?2:1. (6) Fortification of vitamins and trace elements. In short, premature formula retains many advantages of breast milk, making nutrients such as protein, sugar, and fat easy to digest and absorb, while appropriately increasing calories and fortifying multiple vitamins and minerals to supplement the nutritional needs of premature infants. However, premature infant formula lacks many growth factors, enzymes and IgA in breast milk. Generally speaking, the milk suitable for premature infants weighing less than 2000 grams is fortified breast milk or premature formula, and the former should be the first choice in terms of nutritional value and biological function.

3. Infant formula is the formula for ordinary full-term infants, with a calorie density of 67kcal/100ml. Healthy premature infants with older gestational age, birth weight>2000g, no serious complications, and no high-risk factors for malnutrition can directly use infant formula.

4. Premature infant post-discharge formula is specially designed for premature infants in the transition period after discharge. The energy and nutrients it provides are between premature infant formula and infant formula, with a caloric density of 73kcal/100ml. Since the 1990s, foreign countries have begun to develop premature infant post-discharge formula. After more than ten years of application, it has been proven that premature infants who use this special formula after discharge can achieve catch-up growth faster than those who use ordinary infant formula, and their bones develop stronger.

How much milk is suitable for premature babies

The relationship between the stomach capacity and weight of premature infants is used to calculate the amount of milk needed: For an infant weighing 1 kg, the stomach capacity is about 5 ml, and for an infant weighing 2.5 kg, the stomach capacity can reach 12-15 ml. Calculated by kilograms of body weight, the initial amount of milk can be 2-4 ml per kilogram of body weight each time, and then increase by 1-2 ml per 1000 grams of body weight each time each day. Then, on the third day after birth, the total amount of milk is 110-120 ml, and can be controlled at 130-140 ml thereafter.

From this, the following formula for feeding premature infants can be inferred: Daily breastfeeding amount for premature infants within 10 days after birth (ml) = (actual number of days since birth + 10) × body weight (g/100) Daily breastfeeding amount after 10 days (ml) = 20%~25% body weight (g)

What to do if premature babies don't drink milk

Sucking is an innate reflex of humans, and it is born with this ability, regardless of whether the baby is premature or full-term. However, newborn babies do not yet have the ability to recognize spoons or bowls, and some babies do not even know how to suck on the nipples on the bottles. In this case, you will definitely not be able to feed the baby with these utensils. But this is not a big deal, as the baby will gradually get better as he grows up. But it is best to insist on letting the child suck the mother's milk, as breastfeeding is the most scientific and convenient way of feeding.

If it is breastfeeding: There is no such thing as the child not being able to drink milk. It can only be said that there is something wrong with the mother's feeding posture or the mother's breasts. Sometimes the mother's holding posture is wrong or the mother's breasts are congenitally insufficient, which will cause the child to not be able to eat milk or spit out the nipple.

If feeding with a bottle: There are many kinds of bottles nowadays, and the nipples are also flat, round, long and short. At this time, you need to spend more time to choose the bottle and nipple, to see if the child does not drink milk because the bottle has a strange smell or the shape and size of the nipple are not suitable for your child.

3 If feeding with a small spoon or a small bowl: It is normal for a newborn baby not to accept a spoon or a bowl. The best choice is still breast milk, because babies naturally recognize their mother's nipples, and it takes time for them to accept something other than innate knowledge all of a sudden.