Explain Low birth weight infants (LBW)?
One-third of the babies born in US are of low birth weight, less than 2.5 kg. A LBW infant has an inadequate mineralized skeleton, poorly developed muscles, low iron stores and metabolic inability like insulin resistance, poor fat oxidation and low metabolic rate. As age advances and there is catch up or rapid weight gain, there are high chances of obesity and diabetes. This partly explains three times higher risk to CHD.
It is, therefore, crucial to ensure proper care and nutrition for these infants to help them stay on their optimal course of growth. Measures would include, keeping the babies warm, feeding colostrums breast-feeding exclusively for the first six months, and providing iron supplementation (liquid iron) as these infants have poor iron stores at birth. Additionally, all immunizations must be given on time.