Nutrition care in baby with low birth weight

Abstract

Low Birth Weight (LBW) refers to infants born with a birth weight of less than 2.500 grams. Low weight can affect the nutritional status of the infant. Providing adequate nutrition to premature LBW infants plays an essential role in helping them reach growth and developmental milestones similar to those of full-term infants and ensuring a better quality of life in the future. The most important aspect of early LBW care is providing optimal and adequate nutrition to increase weight gain, thereby supporting brain growth and development through rapid postnatal high-protein nutrition. This can be achieved through breast milk and Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), which helps prevent extrauterine growth restriction and promotes post-term growth due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract. Additional support, such as Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), is beneficial for temperature stabilization, allowing the infant to improve their sucking reflex. This study was conducted on LBW infants with moderate asphyxia. The results showed an improvement in nutrition following gradual nutritional management, including parenteral and enteral therapy and KMC over five days, as evidenced by weight gain, increased breastfeeding frequency, and more frequent bowel movements.

Keywords: Nutrition care; hospital care; low birth weight; kangaroo mother care; nursing intervention