Premature Baby Feeding Tube

If premature babies are unable to feed from the breast or bottle they are fed via a tube.

Premature baby feeding tube. There are other reasons why an infant might need a feeding tube including. Cup feeding is less common than bottle feeding and is not offered in all units. She spits up and vomits because they over feed her. The premature born infant might be too sick and fragile to manage breathing and eating challenges at the same time.

Tube dependence is a difficult situation to turn around. A feeding tube is used for infants who do not have the strength or muscle coordination to breastfeed or drink from a bottle. How to cup feed your premature baby. Cup feeding can be done with expressed breast milk or formula or a combination of both.

Tube dependency is recognized as an unintended consequence of long term tube feeding in babies and young children. These babies are usually smaller than a full term baby and have special feeding needs. Babies who need to be on a ventilator for a long time won t be able to eat until they have a tracheostomy even then it may take a long time for these babies to learn how to eat well. Tube feeding makes sure that your baby receives enough nutrients from breast milk or formula to grow and thrive.

Most premature and sick babies will be fed in this way as they are too small and sick to feed themselves. The nurse or doctor checking the residual amount will attach a syringe to the end of the feeding tube and gently pull back on the plunger. An oro gastric tube goes in to the tummy through the baby s mouth. When they reach full term if baby is still struggling with full oral feeding they may go home with the tube still in place though this isn t common.

While tube feeding hospitals and parents will work with preemie babies to begin learning how to orally feed as well either by breast or bottle feeding. Basically tube dependence involves one or more of the behavioral factors already described that prevent a tube fed baby from feeding orally. A nasogastric tube goes in through the nose delivering the feed down to the baby s tummy stomach. Cuddle your baby in an upright position and hold the rim of the feeding cup against her lips.

At 21 2 months adjusted age she weights over 12 lbs. Through a small tube inserted. The doctors refuse to remove the feeding tube and they have this poor baby so over weight. Tube feeding of premature babies.

Cup feeding your premature baby.