Nursing Management of LBW (low birth weight)

Infants of low birth weight (LBW) is a new baby born weighing less than or equal to 250 grams (WHO, 1961), whereas infants weighing less than 1500 grams including infants with very low birth weight. At the European Congress of Prenatal Medicine II (1970) in London proposed the following definition:
Preterm Infant (preterm infants: gestational age of less than 269 days (37mg).
Term infant (term infants: 259-293 days gestation (37-41 mg).
Post-term infant (baby more months, the gestation period of 254 days or more (42 mg / better).


1. Setting the Temperature in the Low Birth Weight Infant

To prevent hypothermia, the necessary environment which is quite warm and rest, oxygen consumption is considerable. When treated in the incubator, the temperature to a baby weighing 2 kg is 35 ° C and to a baby weighing 2 to 2.5 kg is 34 ° C. If there are no incubators, heating can be done by wrapping the baby and put the warm bottles that have been wrapped in a towel or light near sleeping baby. Baby in an incubator, only applied diapers, to facilitate monitoring of the general condition, skin color, breathing, seizures and so on so that the disease can be recognized as early as possible.

2. Setting food / nutrition

The main principle of feeding in premature infants is piecemeal. Slowly and carefully. Early form of glucose feeding, breast milk, or reduce the risk of hypoglycemia, dehydration or hyperbilirubinemia. Babies who are breastfed good power, and without severe pain can try to drink by mouth. Generally, infants weighing less than 1500 grams require first drink with gastric pipeline because of the lack of coordination between sucking with swallowing movement. If the first baby is not feeding into trouble, breastfeeding can be resumed within 12-48 hours.

3. Preventing infection

Premature babies prone to infection. This is because the power of the baby's body against infection has not been established relative lack of antibodies and phagocytosis and the inflammatory reaction has not been good. Infection prevention procedures are as follows:
Washing hands up to the elbows with soap and running water for 2 minutes before going into the baby ward.
Washing hands with anti-septic agent / soap before and after holding a baby.
Reduce contamination of baby food and all things related to babies.
Limiting the number of babies in one room.
Prohibit officers suffering from the infection get into the baby ward.

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