What is the standard for weight gain in premature infants? Normal value for weight gain in premature infants

What is the standard of premature infant weight gain? This is a question that many parents of premature infants are concerned about. Today, we will introduce to you the normal value of premature infant weight gain. It is the wish of mothers to take good care of premature infants and let them develop healthily. Please see the detailed introduction below.

What is the standard for weight gain in premature babies?

In my country, the birth weight of boys is 3.21±0.37 kg and that of girls is 3.12±0.34 kg. The weight gain during the neonatal period should be greater than 600 grams, and the weight at one month is generally 4.60-4.90 kg. Newborns who gain less than 600 grams at one month should be included in the management of weak children. The cause must be found with the help of a health care doctor and targeted treatment must be taken.

Physical examination standards for premature infants

The physical examination of premature babies is also different from that of normal babies.

1. Blood sugar test

Some premature babies may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, so they need to undergo a blood sugar test to determine whether their blood sugar is normal.

2. Electroencephalogram

Because some premature infants may have intraventricular hemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia, an electroencephalogram (EEG) should be performed to determine whether the brain is healthy.

3. CT examination

Some premature babies may have intracranial lesions, so CT scans are needed to determine the health of the brain.

4. Blood test

Blood tests can determine whether the premature baby's white blood cell, neutrophil, hemoglobin concentration and other aspects are normal.

5. Chest X-ray

A chest X-ray can help us understand the respiratory system condition of premature babies and check whether their lungs are normal.

Developmental standards for premature infants

Experts point out that most premature babies can catch up to normal height and weight within one year of age. In fact, many premature babies can jump to a higher growth curve within a few months of birth.

However, a small number of premature babies never catch up to what they would have been if they were full-term. They will always be slightly below average. Sometimes this is because of a clear cause. For example, if a baby does not get enough nutrition in the first few months of life due to illness or postpartum complications, he is more likely to stay on the lower growth curve.

But there is often no clear reason why some premature babies grow to be as tall and heavy as their peers and others do not. It remains a mystery.

If your baby is just about 1 year old, it is too early to judge whether he will grow up to be tall or short. Generally, you have to wait until the baby is 2 years old to see what his height will be like during childhood and as an adult.

If a baby is 2 years old, his height and weight are in the middle of the growth and development percentile chart (that is, 50% of normal children are taller/heavier than him, and 50% of normal children are shorter/lighter than him), he will probably stay close to this percentile during childhood. Generally speaking, if a baby is short at 2 years old, he will remain short when he grows up; if he is of medium height at 2 years old, he will remain of medium height when he grows up; if he is tall at 2 years old, he will generally remain tall when he grows up.

On the other hand, there are exceptions. Once you hit puberty, your baby may have a growth spurt. Some studies suggest that some premature babies experience a growth spurt during this period. But keep in mind that these studies were relatively small.

If your baby is indeed shorter than other children of the same age, it is hard to say whether it is because he was born prematurely or because of pure genetic inheritance. In other words, there is no way to tell how tall your baby should be. If people in your family or your husband's family are generally short, then your baby's height may be at least partly natural.

Experts also emphasize that you should not try to help your baby grow by overeating. Although your baby does need adequate nutrition, and you should always consult a professional doctor about your baby's feeding problems (premature babies often have this problem) and your concerns about him, forcing your baby to eat more than he needs will make him develop unhealthy eating habits and may even cause him to have health problems when he grows up, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

In fact, you should teach your child that size is not the most important thing. Whether he is the tallest or the shortest in the class, if you accept and encourage him, you can help him realize that his size is also a part of what makes him so unique.