Preterm or premature birth occurs when a woman delivers her baby before the 37th week of pregnancy. Various factors can crusade preterm nativity, but one of the virtually serious concerns is the babies' depression nascency weight (LBW).

According to the American University of Pediatrics (AAP), "development is not a race, and babies develop at their own stride" (1). Therefore, fifty-fifty premature babies will gradually accomplish developmental milestones, including weight gain, if proper conditions are offered.

This post discusses premature babies' weight proceeds and growth and provides a premature infant growth nautical chart.

Understanding The Weight Of Premature Babies

The average weight of a newborn is seven pounds (3.17 kilograms). But the average weight of a preterm babe is about 5 pounds (2.26 kilograms) or less. The verbal weight depends on how early the baby is delivered, with infants born after 28 weeks of pregnancy weighing 2.3 pounds (ane kilogram) (2).

There is a difference in premature babies with low birth weight, compared to babies who suffered intra uterine growth retardation, and so called "Small-scale for gestational age" babies.

Weight, Summit, And Caput Circumference Growth In Premature Babies

The weight, superlative, and caput circumference of a premature infant will vary depending on the gestational week of their nativity and their overall health at birth. The post-obit are some cardinal points most the weight, height, and head circumference of premature babies:

Note that these are the boilerplate figures while the bodily figures may differ from one baby to some other.

  • Premature infants are put in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and ideally start gaining weight inside a few days after nascency.
  • The weight gained tin can significantly differ amid babies. A baby with a gestational historic period of 24 weeks (born after the 24th week of pregnancy) may attain 5 grams per day while those born at 33 weeks or later can put on equally much equally 30 grams per day (three).
  • The desirable weight gain in babies who are born with a nascency weight of more than than ii kilograms is 20-30 grams per day (four).
  • The height of preterm babies increases by nearly 1.one centimeters every week until the completion of the ideal gestational age, which is most 40 weeks.
  • The chronological historic period of the baby is the absolute age, which is the time from the birth of a premature babe to the present. This age is also called postnatal age.
  • A good for you premature baby is likely to show improvement first in the head circumference, followed by weight and height.

In the side by side section, we give you a detailed growth chart for premature infants.

[ Read: Guide To Track Your Premature Babe'south Development ]

Premature Baby Growth Chart

The Fenton growth chart for preterm infants is most commonly used for assessing the growth milestones of a premature baby. The Fenton chart was created in 2003 by Dr. Tannis Fenton, who revised information technology in 2013 to arrange the new standards suggested by the World Health Arrangement (5).

In the next section, we list the guess values for height, weight, and head circumferences for both preterm infant girls and boys. The value given is the 50th percentile, which is a median number (6).

Growth charts for premature infants

Weight, height, and head circumference of premature infant girls

Gestational Age In Weeks Weight In Kilograms Superlative In Centimeters Head Circumference In Centimeters
24 0.6kg 30cm 21.1cm
26 0.8kg 33cm 23cm
28 1kg 35.6cm 25cm
thirty ane.3kg 38.5cm 27cm
32 i.7kg 41.1cm 29cm
34 ii.1kg 44cm 30.5cm
36 2.6kg 46.5cm 32.1cm
38 iii.1kg 48.5cm 33.5cm
forty 3.4kg l.5cm 34.9cm

Weight, acme, and head circumference of premature baby boys

Gestational Historic period In Weeks Weight In Kilograms Meridian In Centimeters Head Circumference In Centimeters
24 0.65kg 31cm 22cm
26 0.83kg 34cm 23.5cm
28 i.1kg 36.5cm 25.8cm
30 1.4kg 39cm 27.5cm
32 one.8kg 42cm 29.5cm
34 2.25kg 44.9cm 31cm
36 two.7kg 47cm 32.8cm
38 3.2kg 49.5cm 34cm
twoscore 3.6kg 51cm 35cm

Source: Fenton Preterm Growth Chart Site, University of Calgary (7)

Not all babies develop the same way or at the same footstep, as the growth at this stage depends on multiple factors. Doctors periodically assess a preterm baby in the NICU.

Note that the growth figures indicated by the doctor could be less or more than those mentioned in the chart. But as long as your doctor states that your baby is doing well, you can relax and look forrard to taking your baby home from the NICU.

However, 1 thing y'all may still worry about is the baby'south nutrition as it tin affect their weight significantly.

Nutrition For A Premature Baby

The doctors in the NICU will determine a premature baby's feed after considering the gestational age and their overall health status. Below are the sources of nourishment for a preterm infant:

  1. Intravenous fluids: Early preterm babies will not exist able to breastfeed and volition require an intravenous delivery of nutrients and other fluids. The IV solution will be a mix of all the compounds that the baby will demand to thrive and abound stronger.
  1. Formula or chest milk through tube feeding: Once your baby's digestive arrangement is a bit strong, they can receive breast milk or formula directly into their stomach through a sterile tube that goes through their olfactory organ or rima oris. This class of feeding is called nasogastric or orogastric tube feeding.

The dr. will determine the nature of the feed. If the mother is lactating sufficiently, then she can limited breast milk, which would be and then given to the baby through tube feeding. The quantity of breast milk or formula increases gradually in this method.

  1. Breastfeeding: If your baby is a late preterm infant (born between 34-37 weeks), and then they may be able to breastfeed. Both the mother and infant will require some initial practice. Only once the baby understands to latch to the nipple, you tin breastfeed the premature baby but like y'all would a total-term baby.

If the infant has trouble latching, then you tin provide expressed chest milk through a feeding bottle. In the case of preterm delivery, breastmilk has more protein, minerals, and fat that the infant can easily digest (8). Breastmilk will likewise reduce the risk of abdominal infection.

  1. Fortified formula: Breastmilk alone may not provide the nutrition that premature babies demand to grow. They have a college caloric requirement, usually around 120-kilocalories per kilogram of torso weight per solar day (9). Fortified formula milk can provide the extra nutrition that preemies need, along with the right mix of vitamins and minerals for healthy growth. If required, the doctor may recommend this.

[ Read: Baby Growth Spurts ]

Information technology could be painful to see your little one in an incubator. Just know that this is a passing phase, and with the right kind of care and diet, the baby volition gain weight and abound, to eventually catch up with the babies of their age. Once your baby is eating well, has normal trunk functions, and growing at the right pace, you can safely accept the little one home.

References:

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Dr. Elna Gibson is a full general pediatrician. She did her MBChB and specialization equally a pediatrician in South Africa at the University of Pretoria. She obtained MMed Pediatrics (masters) with distinction in 1993. As a young specialist, Dr. Gibson spent some time in holland, and and so settled in the Vaal Triangle where she has practiced for 25 years. She... more

Rohit Garoo is a zoologist-botanist turned writer with over eight years of experience in content writing, content marketing, and copywriting. He has also done an MBA in marketing and human resources and worked in the domains of market place research and east-commerce. Rohit writes topics related to wellness, wellness and development of babies. His articles featured on several notable websites, including... more than