The Growth and Development of Preterm Infants
The preterm (premature) infant is one who is born
at less than 37 weeks gestation.
Mothers who deliver preterm
infants make breast milk that is different from normal (term) milk.
This difference lasts approximately 4 weeks.
By the time the preterm infant is 4 weeks
old the composition of the maternal breast milk approaches that
of normal milk.
Preterm milk has more of the following:
- Total nitrogen
- Protein nitrogen
- Immunologic factors
- Medium chain fatty acids
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Iron
These differences are important in the extra
nutrition that preterm infants need. Preterm infants can be
divided into three groups:
- Low Birth Weight (LBW) infants who are born at 32 to 34 weeks
gestation weighing greater than 1500 grams.
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants born
earlier than this and weighing less than 1500 grams.
- Late preterm infants are infants born between 34 and 36 6/7 weeks.
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