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The food diversification of a baby born before term will begin according to their “corrected age”. Explanations from pediatrician Sandra Brancato.
Did you know ? A baby is considered to be born premature when its birth takes place before 37 weeks of amenorrhea (37 weeks), i.e. before 8 months of pregnancy. “The more the child is born prematurely, the more the delay in its acquisitions will be accentuated”, begins Dr Sandra Brancato. As with term infants, breast milk constitutes the best power source toddlers in the first months of life. “Moms can express their milk. We then adapt to the baby’s digestive capacity according to his maturity. For the little ones, the amounts are very limited – 1 ml eight times a day at the start – and increase during development. They are then fed via a nose-gastriqu probese placed in their stomachs until they are able to feed themselves independently from the breast or from a bottle, with infant formulas for premature babies, ”explains the pediatrician.
The start of diversification based on corrected age
THEcorrected age corresponds to thereal age of the child from which we subtract the “missing” pregnancy time. “A full-term baby whose diversification starts between 4 and 6 months will not have the same level of tone and psychomotor development as a premature baby”, warns S. Brancato. “To diversify their diet, we must therefore wait until the baby born prematurely has, at least, reached the corrected age of 3 months. And we must also take care to adapt to one’s abilities », Says the specialist. “Once the pediatrician considers that the diversification can start, it then takes place under the conditions of a” normal “diversification, she explains.
Food diversification: instructions for use
The introduction of new flavors in feeding your little one is an important step. Food diversification begins with the discovery of cooked vegetables and fruits. Among the sweet and digestible vegetables: carrots, pumpkin and zucchini offer a first discovery. Fruit side : apples, pears and, in a few weeks, bananas, are popular with babies. Of course, it is essential to grind them well before offering them to your little one. The right quantities: start with 2 teaspoons of puree then gradually increase the amounts. From 6 months (5 months at minimum corrected age), you can introduce starchy foods and protein (about 10 g). For raw vegetables: wait until your little one is over a year old so that their digestive system is mature enough to tolerate them.
Diversification of the premature child: precautions
When the new born has undergone operations, severe digestive disorders during his hospitalization in intensive care, the pediatrician will be more attentive to the digestive tolerance of the child. His “solid” diet will therefore be adapted to the tenderness of his bowels. “Then, once the diversification has started well, and when there are no complications, his meals will be the same as for term infants. The catching up of growth in height and weight is generally carried out in the first year of life of the premature child, on condition of ensuring adequate nutritional intake, ”concludes Dr Brancato. This is why it is essential to establish a very regular follow-up with the pediatrician of your premature child.