16 My baby is premature.Will my milk be sufficient, or do I need to give supplements to my baby? In case of prematurity, the baby is born early and is deprived of the benefits of staying inside the uterus for a longer time. Certain nutrients transferred during the last part of pregnancy are unavailable in the baby's body. These nutrients need to be supplied to the baby. Mother's milk is usually best suited for the baby even in case of prematurity, as the milk contains higher levels of fats and other required nutrients. Hence, it is ideal that the premature baby receives mother's milk. My baby is unable to latch on to the breasts. How can I give my feeds? Sometimes the baby finds it difficult to latch on to the nipples; this may be due to various reasons. Some developmental defects may interfere with breastfeeding. Flat or inverted nipples, large nipples, or sore nipples can hinder correct latching onto the nipple. In these cases, the baby must not be deprived of the benefits of breastfeeds. You can express the breast milk and feed it to your baby. What is effective suckling? The next step for an infant with a good attachment would be to assess suckling. If the infant takes several slow deep sucks followed by swallowing and then pauses, the infant is suckling effectively. Can the collected breast milk be stored for later use? Breast milk banking is a fairly recent concept. When there is extra milk or if the baby
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTU3ODk=