Blends for premature babies

Nutrition of a premature baby should be given special attention, since weight gain by premature babies is one of the main tasks in nursing such babies.

If the mother did not manage to establish breastfeeding, the baby needs to find a mixture that can cover all the needs of the little ones in nutrients in order to ensure a quick weight gain. And therefore, for premature babies, as well as for small babies, special nutrition has been developed. How does it differ from mixtures for newborns and how to choose the best mixture for babies?

Premature babies are fed in the hospital and hospital with the following methods:

1. Parenteral Nutrients are injected into the baby through the veins, for example, glucose, solutions of proteins and vitamins.
2. Through the probe. Such nutrition is long (carried out using an infusion pump) and in portions (performed with a syringe).
3. Breast milk. Mom can breastfeed the baby or give the toddler expressed milk from a bottle.
4. From the bottle mixture. With this feeding, the baby gets a special mix.

• The energy value of such mixtures is increased and averages 80 kcal per 100 ml.
• The amount of protein in premature babies mixtures has been increased to 1.9-2.6 g per 100 ml of product.
• The ratio of protein fractions (casein to whey proteins) is as close as possible to the composition of breast milk and in most products is 40:60.
• The amount of fat in the mixtures also increased to 3.9-4.3 g in 100 ml of the finished mixture.
• Arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids must be present in the composition of fat mixtures for premature babies, since they are synthesized in limited quantities in the body of immature babies.
• About 20-40% of the fat composition of the mixtures are medium chain triglycerides, which help the absorption of fat. These compounds also improve the absorption of zinc and calcium.
• There are more carbohydrates in babies' pre-term infant formulas, while the amount of lactose is somewhat reduced to eliminate the strong load on the digestive tract of babies. In some products, lactose is replaced by dextrin maltose or polysaccharides.
• L-carnitine, which is a vitamin-like compound important for the metabolism of fats, is added to all the mixtures.
• Adding nucleotides to the mixture helps stimulate somatic growth as well as strengthen the immune system. These compounds have a positive effect on intestinal maturation and the formation of the gastrointestinal microflora.
• The vitamin-mineral composition of the mixtures is adapted to the needs of the premature infant - they contain more iron and calcium, the amount of vitamins D, E and C is increased. The ratio of copper to zinc is 10 to 1, and the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2 to 1.
• Some blends contain dietary fiber in the form of galacto-oligosaccharides. They stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria.
• The osmolality of the mixtures for premature babies is rather high due to the high concentration of nutrients, therefore, when the infant reaches 2.5-3 kg, it is recommended to convert it to standard mixtures.

First of all, the child's weight is taken into account, since there are mixtures recommended for those weighing less than 1800 g (Friso Pre, Nutrilon Pre 0, Similac special care). If a child weighs more than 1800 g, he can be given a mixture of Similac Neoshur, Nutrilon Pre 1, Nan Pre, Nutrilak Pre.

As for the rest, it is very difficult to say which mixture for an infant will be the best, because each baby reacts to food individually.For example, in one baby, the mixture may cause constipation, and the same mixture does not interfere with the digestion of another child.

A premature baby should receive food 7-8 times a day with breaks of about 3 hours. Calculating the volume of the mixture, first of all take into account its caloric content.

Baby should receive a day:

If it is necessary (the child was born very premature, it is not gaining weight well), one or two feeds for the premature infants can remain in the baby’s diet for several months.