Breast vs Bottle
Breastmilk:
Pros:
Tho these could also be due to other socio-economic factors that also link to decision to breastfeed
Cons:
Both breast + bottle can lead to OVERFEEDING
Feeding volumes in babies
Formula feed = 150ml/kg of body weight/day (may have to work up from less in the first week)
- may be more if preterm/underweight
Every 2-3 hour intially, then gradually increase till babies’ FEEDING ON DEMAND
Initial weight loss in babies
Up to 10% if breast fed; 5% if formula fed
Weaning
Usually starts ~6 MONTHS
- starts with pureed foods
Progress to normal diet supplemented with milk + snacks to 1 year
Red flags in development
Any sign of sidedness before 18 months
Failure to thrive
Poor physical growth + development
Faltering growth
Failure to gain adequate weight or ahieve adequate growth during infancy/early childhood (hight, weight, head circumferance in infancy)
- a significant interruption in the expected rate of growth compared with other children of similar age and sex during early childhood
Fall in weight across:
May not be representative in neonates due to variations in growth due to antenatal factors (e.g. maternal smoking, gestational diabetes)
Causes of failure to thrive
Anything leading to inadequate energy/nutrition:
Causes of Inadequate Nutritional Intake
Causes of Difficulty Feeding
Causes of Malabsorption
Causes of Increased Energy Requirements
Inability to Process Nutrients Properly
Which key areas need to be assessed when investigating failure to thrive:
How would one take a feeding/eating Hx
Food choices + aversions. Mealtime routines + appetitee.
FOOD DIARY = helpful.
BMI claculation
(weight in kg) / (height in meters)2
Mid parental height calculation
(height of mum + height of dad) / 2.
Outcomes from failure to thrive assessment that would suggest inadequate nutrition or a growth disorder are
Potential investigations for faltering growth
Further investigations usually only done if signs suggest underlying diagnosis e.g. CF or pyloric stenosis
What advice should be given to mothers struggling to breastfeed (resulting in failure to thrive)
Management options for kids experiencing inadequate nutrition
How to determine child’s growth
measure weight and hight/length and plt on UK WHO growth charts
How often does weight need to be monitored in children with suspected faltering growth
When does initial neonatal weight loss usually stop
~ 3/4 days