Which kind of milk powder is better for premature babies and how long should they eat?

Premature babies need more nutrition. Mothers need to take good care of them and drink special milk powder for premature babies. How long should premature babies eat milk powder? What nutrients do premature babies need? How to choose milk powder for premature babies? What are the precautions for feeding premature babies with milk powder? Which brand of milk powder for premature babies is good? The following editor will introduce you in detail.

How long should premature babies eat milk powder?

As a special group of immature babies, their nutritional needs should not only take into account the problems caused by nutrient deficiencies, but also the possible risks caused by excessive amounts of these nutrients. Generally speaking, when the weight of premature babies (actual age rather than corrected age) catches up with that of full-term babies of the same age, they can be switched to ordinary stage 1 milk powder.

Changing premature baby formula does not mean changing it when the baby is a few months old, or when the baby weighs a few kilograms, but both the age in months and the weight should be considered at the same time. For example, when a premature boy weighs 6kg after 3 months after birth, he can be changed to ordinary stage 1 formula.

Because premature babies have weak gastrointestinal functions and are dependent on the milk products they first come into contact with, changing the brand or variety of milk powder generally requires a gradual transition, that is, first mix the two milk powders together, with more of the original brand and less of the new brand, and gradually add the new brand of milk powder until it completely replaces the old brand. When changing milk powder, pay attention to observe the baby's digestion and see if the stool characteristics and frequency have changed: if there is no major change, it means that the digestion is good; otherwise, dilute the milk powder appropriately and wait for the baby to adapt to gradually add it to the original concentration.

Nutritional needs for premature babies

Nutrition required by premature infants: Premature infants have low energy reserves, are in a high metabolic state, have increased insensible water loss, have a large water requirement, and have a high demand for calories, about 120-150 kCal/(kg?d). They need 3.5-4.0 g/kg of protein. Very low birth weight infants may develop hypophosphatemia if they are completely fed with human milk. Magnesium is absorbed by the intestines by 50% in the first week, and then decreases. When magnesium is deficient, calcium balance is affected, so calcium is also reduced.

Premature infant formula and feeding amount: It is best to feed small premature infants with breast milk fortified with human milk. If breast milk is not available, low birth weight infant formula can be selected. This formula contains 81 kCal of calories, 2.2 g of protein, and 45 g of fat per 100 ml. Its osmotic pressure is close to that of the premature infant's digestive tract, and its nutrients are easy to digest and absorb. Fat milk: Start with 0.5 g/(kg?d), increase day by day, and gradually increase to 2-3 g/(kg?d). The full day's amount should be completed within 16-20 hours, at a rate of 0.15 g/(kg?h).

Glucose: 60%-70% of energy supply, to prevent hyperosmosis and stimulation of peripheral blood vessels, the concentration should be <12.5%, amino acids: use pediatric amino acid injection, which contains amino acids suitable for the growth of premature infants, starting from 0.5g/(kg?d), gradually increase day by day, gradually increase to 2.5-3.0g/kg, and should not exceed 3.0g/(kg?d).

There are many formula milk powders on the market now. Since some whey protein, lipids, sugars, vitamins are added to formula milk powders, and some minerals are removed, formula milk powders can also be used for premature babies. When feeding premature babies with formula milk powders, you should pay attention to the quality of the milk powder, such as the manufacturer, the content of nutrients, the date of manufacture, etc.

How to choose milk powder for premature babies

1. The closer the composition of breast milk is, the better

Currently, most formula milk powders on the market are close to breast milk composition, but they differ in individual ingredients and quantities. 27% of the protein in breast milk is α-lactalbumin, while α-lactalbumin in cow's milk only accounts for 4% of the total protein. α-lactalbumin can provide the closest amino acid combination to breast milk, improve protein bioavailability, reduce the total amount of egg mass, and thus effectively reduce the burden on the kidneys. At the same time, α-lactalbumin also contains neurotransmitters that regulate sleep, which helps infants sleep and promotes brain development. Therefore, formula milk powder with α-lactalbumin content closer to breast milk should be preferred.

2. Choose according to the baby's age

The instructions for milk powder have suitable months or ages, and you can choose according to your needs. The milk powder suitable for babies should firstly not cause constipation or diarrhea after eating, and the weight and height indicators should grow normally. The baby should sleep well and have a normal appetite. In addition, the baby should not have bad breath, less eye mucus, and no rash.

3. Choose according to your baby’s health needs

Premature infants have a poorer digestive system than normal-born infants, so they can choose premature infant formula milk powder. When their weight grows to normal (greater than 2500 grams), they can be replaced with infant formula milk powder. For babies who lack lactase, suffer from chronic diarrhea that causes loss of lactase on the surface of the intestinal mucosa, and have asthma and skin diseases, desensitized milk powder, also known as soybean formula milk powder, can be chosen. For babies with acute or long-term chronic diarrhea or short bowel syndrome, due to damage to the intestinal mucosa and lack of multiple digestive enzymes, hydrolyzed protein formula milk powder can be used. Children who are iron-deficient can be supplemented with high-iron milk powder. These choices should preferably be made under the guidance of a clinical nutritionist.

Precautions for feeding premature infants with milk powder

First, because the swallowing function of premature babies is not perfect, they may spit up milk and have uncoordinated breathing movements, causing milk to flow back to the throat and then be inhaled into the lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia. In severe cases, they may suffocate and die immediately. Therefore, when feeding, choose a softer nipple with an appropriate size of suction hole, and it is best to let the baby lie in a semi-recumbent position.

Secondly, remember to pat the baby's back after feeding, that is, stand the baby upright and gently pat the back for 3-5 minutes. If the baby spits up, the baby should be placed prone or sideways to prevent suffocation caused by overflowing milk or choking. For babies with poor sucking ability, a small spoon can be used for feeding, but it is necessary to keep the milk warm and not too cold.

When feeding the baby, mothers must be patient and feed on demand. Eating slowly is a characteristic of premature babies, so you need to be patient when feeding and give the baby a break. After eating for one minute, let the baby stop and rest, and then continue feeding after ten seconds, which can reduce the occurrence of spitting up. In addition, as a special group of immature and imperfect development, premature babies’ nutritional needs must not only take into account the problems caused by nutrient deficiencies, but also the possible risks brought about by excessive amounts of these nutrients. Therefore, even though the applicable age of general premature formula milk powder is written as 0-12 months, it does not actually need to be fed continuously until 1 year old.

Also, for premature babies who need to catch up, when they catch up with the growth and development level of full-term babies of the same age, they can be switched to ordinary infant formula milk powder stage 1. Due to individual differences, it is necessary to consult a doctor for details. Because premature babies have weak gastrointestinal functions and are dependent on dairy products for the first time, changing the brand or variety of milk powder needs to be done in an alternating, gradual and slow manner.

Which brand of premature baby milk powder is good?

1. Wyeth S-26 Gold Plus

Wyeth Gold Plus is the first formula milk powder launched by Wyeth in China specifically for babies with picky eaters. It is specially designed by Wyeth's international child nutrition experts for Chinese babies with picky eaters over one year old, and is especially suitable for premature babies.

At the same time, Wyeth Gold Meal Plus comprehensively covers 40 important nutrients in 7 major dietary categories: meat, fish, eggs, milk, grains, vegetables and fruits. Even if the baby cannot eat all kinds of food at the table, he can still get the important nutrients in the diet. Mothers no longer have to worry about the baby's nutritional deficiencies.

2. Dumex

Suitable for low birth weight infants aged 0-12 months. Premature infants and low birth weight infants need extra care due to their immature physiological development. Dumex Superior Beihu Birth Weight Infant Formula (LBW) is specially formulated to meet the special nutritional needs of premature and low birth weight infants. Its formula is nutritionally comprehensive, contains a European/Chinese patented probiotic combination, and is supplemented with DHA and ARA medium chain glycerol (MCT). The product osmotic pressure is 360 milliosmolar osmotic pressure.

3. Abbott

Abbott/Abbott imported gold package Zhihu 100 premature infant Xikangbao 1 stage milk powder, Zhihu premature infant milk powder. Pure EU milk source, cows come from the world's excellent dairy cow breeds, their growth environment is pure and original, milk production is rare, excellent quality, delicate taste, natural and mellow. Contains affinity and efficient absorption formula, active probiotics and prebiotics, help enhance protection, promote the maturation of premature infant immune cells, and help improve antibody levels.