Premature infants are babies who are born prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), as many as 10 percent of babies are born prematurely. Premature birth has many effects on infant health and development, especially regarding feeding issues. Premature babies need to have their calorie intake monitored more closely to ensure they are getting adequate amounts of formula or breast milk.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is almost always the healthiest option for babies, but extremely premature infants may not be developed fully enough to nurse. The March of Dimes recommends discussing the breastfeeding option with your baby's neonatal care team; they will help you determine how feasible breastfeeding is and if you will need to pump your milk as an alternative until baby grows a bit bigger. You will need to nurse frequently in the early weeks to establish your milk supply.
Pumping Breastmilk
Some premature babies are born with a weak sucking reflex and are therefore unable to breastfeed at birth. In these instances, mothers may pump their breastmilk to be fed to their babies by syringe, spoon or bottle. You need to use a hospital-grade breast pump, which is more powerful and capable of stimulating the breasts to make more milk than many commercial-grade pumps. According to the AAFP, many neonatal intensive care units will add human milk fortifier to pumped breastmilk for premature babies.
Formula Feeding
When breast milk is not available, you need to feed premature babies with formula. According to dietitian Mary Silva, most premature babies are fed a special formula with extra nutrients until they are ready to leave the hospital. Soy formula is not recommended for preemies because, according to Silva, it prevents the absorption of phosphorus, which preterm infants need in order to develop properly.
