Define Vitamin and Mineral requirements for preterm and low birth weight?
Care to be taken for calcium and phosphorus intake in preterm infant. Due to inefficient sodium conservation mechanism in preterm infants, the sodium requirement is increased to 3.0-3.5 meq/kg/day. From 2 weeks to 2 months, both preterm and term infants require iron supplementation (2-3 mg/kg/day of supplemental iron.
Fluid needs - In case of premature infants:
- weighting less than 1000 g fluid needs is 150 ml/kg/day.
- weighing more than 1000 g fluid needs is 100-150 ml/kg/day.
- for term infant's fluid needs is100 ml/kg/day.
So then considering the feeding problems and the enhanced nutrient requirement what are the feeding options for premature or lBW infants.