Premature birth is known to give rise to unique challenges, most notably, in feeding a prematurely born baby. These are small-born infants who were not allowed to complete their nine-month journey inside the uterus due to early delivery. As a result, the organs like the digestive system and others of preterm-born infants are immature as compared with their counterparts born full. That is why feeding premature infants is a difficult and sensitive exercise that needs specific approaches to care and strategies for feeding.
Preterm Birth
A preterm or premature birth happens before 37 completed weeks of gestation. Some of these infants are referred to as premature or preemie infants in that they may be facing several health problems because their organs and parts of their bodies are still underdeveloped. Feeding and nutrition is one of the big challenges.
Challenges in Feeding Preterm Babies
Feeding preterm babies can be challenging for several reasons:
Immature Digestive System: In preterm infants, an undeveloped gastrointestinal system may hinder proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Oral Feeding Difficulties: Preterm infants often have difficulty sucking, swallowing, and synchronizing breaths during feeding which makes it hard for prematurely born infants to be breastfed or bottle fed.
Nutritional Needs: Feeding preterm infants is more complex compared to term infants since they have higher nutritional needs for optimal growth and development.
Gastrointestinal Issues: Preterm infants are more susceptible to developing gastrointestinal problems like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) that may compromise their ability to take feeds.
Strategies for Feeding Preterm Babies
To address these challenges, healthcare providers and parents of preterm infants often employ a variety of feeding strategies:
Breast Milk: It is most desirable that breast milk should be offered whenever practicable. Preterm Infants Get the Most Natural and Beneficial Nutrition through Breast Milk. The cow’s milk is enriched with essential nutrients, and antibodies that may protect from infections.
Expressed Breast Milk: In cases where preterm infants are unable to breastfeed directly, mothers can express their breast milk and feed it to their babies through a bottle or feeding tube.
Feeding Tubes: Preterm infants who cannot coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing may require the use of a feeding tube, which delivers milk or formula directly to the stomach. This ensures that the baby receives the necessary nutrients for growth and development.
Oral Care and Support: Occupational therapists and speech therapists can work with preterm infants to improve their oral feeding skills. Techniques such as paced bottle feeding, where the baby controls the flow of milk, can be beneficial.
Slow Introduction of Feeds: In some cases, healthcare providers may start with small volumes of feeds and gradually increase them to allow the baby's digestive system to adapt.
Specialized Formulas: For infants who cannot tolerate breast milk, specialized preterm infant formulas are available. These formulas are designed to meet the specific nutritional needs of preterm babies.
Fortification: Breast milk can be fortified with additional nutrients to meet the higher requirements of preterm infants. This can be done with the guidance of a healthcare provider.
Challenges Faced by Parents
Parents also experience emotional and physical strains in feeding their premature babies. The experience of having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be overwhelming, and parents may face challenges such as:
Emotional Stress: There are also parents who worry about a baby’s illness and in this case, when it comes to feeding difficulties particularly.
Breastfeeding Challenges: The mothers may find it hard to breastfeed a premature baby, which could be emotionally exhausting.
Feeding Tube Concerns: Parents’ learning to manage feeding tubes is daunting yet essential in caring for their babies.
Balancing Work and NICU Time: This can be very difficult for parents as they are torn between caring for a sick child at the NICU, and working and looking after their families.
Financial Strain: The cost of extended hospital stays and specialized care can place a significant financial burden on families.
Strategies for a Smooth Transition Home
As preterm infants grow and their health improves, the goal is to transition them from the NICU to home. This transition can be challenging but is an important step in their development. Here are some strategies to help ease this process:
Breastfeeding Support: Seek the guidance of a lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist to support breastfeeding efforts.
Follow-up Care: Continue to attend follow-up appointments with healthcare providers to monitor your baby's growth and development.
Preparation: Educate yourself about feeding techniques and any equipment you may need, such as breast pumps or specialized formulas.
Emotional Support: Lean on your support network of family and friends, and consider joining support groups for parents of preterm infants.
Conclusion
Preterm infants’ underdeveloped digestive systems and difficulty in oral feeding make feeding them more complicated. Nonetheless, with the help of an experienced healthcare team, parental support, and by employing specialized feeding techniques, preterm infants can be provided with the nourishment necessary for good growth and development. Preterm babies can certainly face challenges but they demonstrate great resilience which stands for what medical science can do and determination that comes from caregivers and parents.