Premature Baby Feeding Tube

A feeding tube is used for infants who do not have the strength or muscle coordination to breastfeed or drink from a bottle.

Premature baby feeding tube.

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. 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. A nasogastric tube goes in through the nose delivering the feed down to the baby s tummy stomach.

If premature babies are unable to feed from the breast or bottle they are fed via a tube. Tube dependency is recognized as an unintended consequence of long term tube feeding in babies and young children. Most premature and sick babies will be fed in this way as they are too small and sick to feed themselves. These babies are usually smaller than a full term baby and have special feeding needs.

The doctors refuse to remove the feeding tube and they have this poor baby so over weight. Tube feeding makes sure that your baby receives enough nutrients from breast milk or formula to grow and thrive. At 21 2 months adjusted age she weights over 12 lbs. In premature babies who have an ng tube or a g tube residuals are sometimes checked routinely and sometimes only if there is a concern that feeds are not being tolerated by the baby as expected.

Cup feeding is less common than bottle feeding and is not offered in all units. Cup feeding your premature baby. 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. How to cup feed your premature baby.

Cuddle your baby in an upright position and hold the rim of the feeding cup against her lips. Tube feeding of premature babies. Premature babies in the nicu receive a lot of unpleasant stimulation to their mouths intubation suctioning and poor feeding techniques can cause babies to develop an oral. An oro gastric tube goes in to the tummy through the baby s mouth.

Tube dependence is a difficult situation to turn around. There are other reasons why an infant might need a feeding tube including. 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. Cup feeding can be done with expressed breast milk or formula or a combination of both.

The more premature a baby is the more help he or she will need to eat.