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MOTHER
AND CHILD CARE
(MAMTA KA
AANGAN)
Episode No. 12
LOW
BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES
Q:
What is the meaning of the term “Low Birth Weight Babies”?
A: The total gestation period or the duration of pregnancy is 37 to 42
weeks, if a baby is born with low birth weight; there are two kinds of low birth
weight babies:
(i)
Those who are born before 37 weeks of gestation are completed. Their
birth weight is less that 2.5 kg. These babies are called pre-term babies.
(ii)
Those who are born after completion of 37 weeks but are not fully
developed due to some reason, due to which their weight is less than 2.5 kg.
These babies are called small-for-date babies.
Q:
What is the incidence of small-for-date babies in India and what are the reasons
for their occurrence?
A: In India, about 1/3rd of all babies are small-for-date. Health
of the baby depends on maternal health during pregnancy. The causes for the
birth of small-for-date babies include:
a)
Malnutrition or under nutrition of the mother during pregnancy.
b)
Maternal anaemia.
c)
Maternal hypertension or any other maternal illness.
d)
Age of mother: Below 20 yrs or over 35 years.
e)
Maternal alcoholism, smoking or drug addiction.
The
baby’s journey from inside the mother’s womb to the outside world is a very
critical one and any carelessness during this time may permanently damage the
child.
Q:
Do low-birth-weight babies suffer from any special problems?
A: Since Low–birth-weight babies are not fully developed, they face some
problems while dealing with the outside environment. For instance hypothermia
or sudden reduction in body temperature. Hypothermia could be fatal for these
babies.
Q:
How can hypothermia be prevented?
A: These babies should not be washed immediately after birth. Instead, they
should be wiped clean with a dry cloth and wrapped immediately in warm clothes.
It is very essential to keep the head of these babies covered. If these babies
need to be shifted anywhere (for instance to another hospital), they should be
kept warm properly so that the their body temperature is maintained.
Q:
How often should these babies be fed?
A: Low-birth-weight babies are very susceptible to hypoglycaemia and
hence should be breastfed immediately after birth. These babies should be fed
every 2-3 hours and for as long as they take the feed. If for some reason the
baby does not take a feed for more than 3-4 hours, inform your doctor
immediately. Also, remember to burp the baby after every feed.
Q:
Is there any other important precaution to be taken with low-birth-weight
babies?
A: Yes. Low-birth-babies are very susceptible to infections and hence it is
important that the baby remains with the mother most of the time and has minimal
contact with others. The less number of people handle it, the better it is. The
mother too should handle the baby with properly cleaned and warm hands.
Q:
Do low-birth-weight-babies need any special equipment for their care?
A: Some low-birth-weight babies may require an incubator. The incubator is
an artificially created environment for the baby which provides the environment
required for the baby’s proper growth and development. An incubator provides
the right temperature, humidity, and the tranquility required by the baby. This
is a place where a baby can be monitored without constantly handling it, until
the baby develops the right resistance to survive in the outside world. There
are many other methods of maintaining the right temperature and environment for
the baby, which are employed by neonatologists according to the baby’s needs.
Q:
Is mother’s milk sufficient to fulfil the baby’s nutritional needs?
A: The daily protein requirement of low-birth-weight is more than that of
normal baby’s. Mothers of low-birth-weight babies are found to have more
protein in their milk than mothers of term babies. Mother’s milk is the best
feed for such babies as it contains all the nutrients required by them. These
babies may require supplements of calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins and
these can be given according to your doctor’s advice.
Q:
How can the incidence of low-birth-weight babies be decreased?
A: The most important step is regular antenatal check-ups. For the first
seven months, pregnant women should visit their doctors every month. From the
eighth month, the visits should be fortnightly and in the last month, the visit
should be weekly. Any problem can thus be detected in time and treated.
Q:
When should parents seek the doctor advice in case of such babies?
A: The doctor’s advice should
be sought immediately:
a)
The baby looks dull.
b)
The baby refuses feeds.
c)
The baby’s starts to look either yellowish, or pale or bluish.
d)
The baby’s body feels cold to touch.
e)
The baby develops a rash
f)
The baby develops cough, fever of diarrhoea.
g)
The baby develops convulsions.
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