Patient's question:
Premature infant at 32 weeks, not enough breast milk, diarrhea on formulaDoctor's answer:
Analysis of the condition: Hello, the care of premature infants requires great attention, and parents need to pay attention to many aspects.Advice: A premature infant is a newborn born before 37 weeks of gestation. Most premature infants have a birth weight of less than 2,500 grams. The mortality rate of premature infants is higher because their organ systems are underdeveloped, making them prone to various complications. Therefore, most premature infants require hospital treatment and care for a period of time. Premature infants can be discharged when they can suck milk independently and ensure daily intake; maintain normal body temperature at indoor temperatures of 21–24℃; gain 10–30 grams of weight daily and reach over 2,300 grams; have no complications; do not require oxygen supplementation; have no anemia or other nutritional deficiencies, and other symptoms.
However, after discharge, the child's body remains weak, and parents must be very careful in their care to prevent infection. Avoid infection: In addition to the person specifically caring for the child (the mother or grandmother), it is best not to let others enter the premature infant's room, and even avoid handing the child over to relatives or neighbors. The person caring for the child should change into clean clothes (or a dedicated disinfection cover) and wash their hands thoroughly when feeding the child or doing other tasks. If the mother has a cold, she should wear a mask while breastfeeding and wash her hands with soap and hot water before feeding to prevent cross-infection.
Pay attention to keeping warm: Premature infants require attention to temperature regulation, but keeping warm does not mean wrapping them tightly. In home care, the indoor temperature should be maintained between 24–28℃, with a relative humidity of 55%–65%. If the indoor temperature is not sufficient, a warm water bag can be used to keep the child warm, but safety must be ensured. The infant's body temperature should be maintained between 36–37℃, with temperatures measured once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If the highest or lowest temperature differs by 1℃ or more, appropriate measures should be taken to ensure stable body temperature.
When the infant's weight is below 2.5 kilograms, bathing should be avoided, and edible oil can be used to wipe the child's neck, armpits, groin, and other creased areas every 2–3 days. If the weight is above 3 kilograms and the child can consume 100 milliliters of milk per feeding, bathing can be done as with healthy newborns. During cold seasons, special attention should be paid to the indoor temperature and water temperature when bathing.
1. Careful feeding: Premature infants need breast milk even more. Breast milk from premature mothers contains more nutrients and amino acids than full-term mother's milk, fully meeting the nutritional needs of premature infants. Additionally, premature mother's milk is easier for premature infants to digest and absorb, enhancing their immune system and playing a significant role in resisting infections. Therefore, mothers must have confidence in their milk, believing it is the best for their child, and find ways to ensure the child receives breast milk, either during hospitalization or after discharge. Mothers should strive to have as much contact with the premature infant as possible. If the hospital has a mother-child room, mothers should definitely stay in it. For infants who cannot suck or have weak sucking ability, mothers should express milk regularly (at least every three hours) and feed the expressed milk to the infant.
2. Infant massage: The tactile stimulation massage provides to the child helps form reflexes in the brain, causing the child's eyes and hands to move. When these connections and activities between brain cells are frequent, it promotes intellectual development. Another benefit is that it reduces crying and improves sleep. Abdominal massage can also enhance the child's digestive and absorption functions.
3. Contact the doctor immediately if the following occurs: ① Body temperature drops below 35℃ or rises above 38℃, and corresponding measures to raise or lower the temperature do not yield results; ② Coughing, spitting up foam, or rapid breathing; ③ Sudden decrease in milk intake, pale complexion, and weak crying; ④ Sudden abdominal distension; ⑤ Seizures or convulsions.
When caring for premature infants, do not be impatient—be meticulous, observe the child's condition closely, but do not overreact. Maintain scientific regulation, have confidence, and trust that the child will grow up healthy. Practice has proven that the first two years of life are a precious time to compensate for congenital deficiencies. With scientific feeding, premature infants can catch up with normal children by the age of two. Such premature infants will not be inferior to normal children in terms of physical strength or intelligence.