The low-weight baby is born under 2.5 kg, which can be diagnosed as a small child for gestational age during pregnancy.
You can identify that your baby is underweight by ultrasound, during pregnancy, or shortly after birth.When the doctor finds that the baby is insufficient for his gestational age, he or she should indicate that the mother should rest and eat properly.
- In general.
- The causes of the baby’s low weight are related to placental insufficiency.
- Which is an insufficient blood supply from the mother to the baby.
- Possible causes of placental insufficiency may include:.
However, in some cases, the cause of low-weight baby birth is not identified.
What you should do with a low-weight baby is dress it properly, as these babies tend to be very cold and make sure it is well fed so that it can gain a healthy weight.
These babies may have more difficulty breastfeeding, but despite this, the mother should be encouraged to breastfeed several times a day, avoiding the use of artificial milk; However, when the baby cannot gain enough weight just by breastfeeding, the pediatrician may suggest that after breastfeeding, the mother should give the baby a milk supplement tailored to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients and calories.
Other important care to care for a low-weight baby include
In addition to these precautions, it is important to know that the baby should only take the first vaccines, such as BCG and the hepatitis B vaccine, when weighing more than 2 kg and therefore it is common to have the vaccines in the health center.