Weight loss in a newborn: normative and acceptable indicators, description, causes

At birth, the first indicators that are measured by doctors are the height and weight of the baby. These indicators are carefully monitored by pediatricians, who are regularly visited by parents with a child. There is such a thing as weight loss in a newborn. It can be physiological or pathological. Depending on the causes of weight loss, its nature, treatment is prescribed, if necessary, as well as preventive measures. Today we will talk about baby weight loss, consider what the norms are, what pathological weight loss is.

Weight norm in boys

Before talking about weight loss in a newborn, it is necessary to note the norms in general, defining standard indicators. At birth, standard indicators are weight in the region from 2.8 kg to 4 kg. The growth of the baby ranges from 46 to 55 cm. If earlier the weight and height of the babies at birth tended to be lower, then now there is a tendency to increase weight. Large children with strong weight are being born more and more. Consider the table of standard indicators of weight in boys.

Norm in girls

Considering the norm of weight in girls, we will also give a table from a very low rate to a very high one. At the same time, we draw your attention to indicators from below average to above average. All other standards require close monitoring of the child by a doctor. Not only the baby’s weight and its compliance with the table indicators, but also the ratio between the height and weight of the child is very important. The standards proposed by us are relevant for babies born on time, these standards do not apply to premature babies, there are other indicators.

There are special tables and graphs that establish the correspondence of weight and height. The graphs take into account the region of birth of the child, the physique of the parents and other factors that, one way or another, affect the height and weight of the child. Let's look at the table of weight standards for girls.

Causes of weight loss

After the birth of a child, his main occupation is a sound and healthy sleep. During the first month for the full recovery, development, growth of the child, he needs to sleep a lot and soundly, waking up only for the feeding process. At this stage of development of the child does not require a huge amount of milk. A few milliliters are enough to satisfy hunger. That is why there is a weight loss of the newborn, there should not be a set at all. Doctors distinguish norms within which a child’s weight loss is considered normal. As a rule, weight loss is observed regardless of how the baby is fed: breast milk or a mixture. Over the first 4-5 days, this phenomenon is quite normal, after which a gradual increase in body weight begins. Consider the main causes of weight loss in a newborn:

1. A decrease in the percentage of fluid in the body. For a long time, the child is in the womb, filled with fluid. At birth, the baby is exposed to stress, so edema occurs and a large amount of water accumulates. In a normal state, the child comes within 4-5 days. Swelling subsides, excess fluid escapes through the skin and pores.
2. Meconium. The first stool of the child leaves within 3 days. Throughout its development in the mother's body, the child accumulated it in the intestine. During the first days this chair comes out. Thus, weight loss in newborns in the early days also occurs due to bowel movement.
3. Lack of breast milk. In fact, such a problem is often invented by mom and does not correspond to reality. In the early days of milk, there should not be much, the child needs a few milliliters. In the future, the breast is poured, and there is more milk, as a rule, its quantity is enough for feeding. In the event that there is not enough milk, the child may lose weight.
4. Premature babies, that is, those who were born prematurely, are generally in specialized couves and receive nutrients hourly in accordance with their needs. In such a situation, the rate of weight loss in newborns is about 15% of the total weight at birth. After the child has been discharged, it is necessary to give him breasts as often as he requires. The body knows better when and how much milk is needed.
5. Children born with high rates of weight lose it in the early days. They need, like premature babies, to get used to new conditions, as well as to return to normal form.

Baby slimming rate

Earlier, we examined the causes of weight loss, which are physiological, that is, completely normal, there is no pathology in this. The rate of weight loss in newborns is 5-7% during the first days from the moment of birth. In this case, you do not need to take weight gain activities and worry about it. The child will certainly regain his body weight quickly enough, for two weeks. Doctors also claim that the percentage of weight loss of the newborn may be higher. Loss of up to 10% of the total body weight will not be considered a pathology, but still you need to watch the baby to prevent dehydration. Pay attention to the condition and color of the skin. In the first days after childbirth, the child does not eat milk, but colostrum - this is a substance that is excreted in a woman before milk, it is also nutritious and beneficial for the child.

In the event that the weight loss exceeds the indicators presented above, you must consult a doctor and undergo an examination. As a result, he will find out the reason for losing weight, treatment will be prescribed, a complex of vitamins to restore the child's body.

Valid metrics

In the event that the woman’s pregnancy was proceeding normally, there were no complications or premature births, the weight of the child will probably vary from 3 to 3.5 kg. By the end of the hospital stay, each mother will notice that the child has lost weight. We considered that this is a completely normal phenomenon, and as a percentage we established what weight loss is normal.

Consider the boundaries of the norm of weight loss in newborns at discharge on specific numerical indicators. During the first 3-5 days, the baby's body weight may decrease by 150-300 grams, depending on environmental conditions and the initial birth weight. If the baby was born prematurely, then weight loss can be 15-18% of total body weight. Borders increase if childbirth was prolonged, the child received a birth injury.

Pathological weight loss

In the event that the weight loss in newborns in the first days exceeds 10% of the total body weight or after 5 days it continues, it is necessary to think about pathology. The examination must also be completed if the weight of the child is in one place. It must be understood that weight loss in the case of pathology is accompanied by some symptoms. So, pathological weight loss in newborns in the early days, as a rule, is accompanied by the following phenomena:

1. Strong thirst, the baby actively and eagerly grabs the mother’s breast, there is a desire for constant fluid intake. In this case, saturation occurs quickly and briefly, soon the child again wants to drink.
2. The heart beats fast, shortness of breath appears.
3. We pay attention to the skin of the newborn: they are dry, they begin to peel off.
4. The mucous membranes are overdried, are in a painful condition.
5. An increase in temperature is not always observed, but it also happens.

Deviation from the norm of weight loss in newborns in the first days and months after birth is caused by several reasons:

1. Lack of milk in the mother, taking antibiotics, a variety of diseases of the woman or a genetic predisposition lead to a decrease in the amount of milk. This phenomenon is called hypogalactia. The only way out of this situation is the appointment of artificial mixtures for feeding the baby.
2. The pathological condition of the child, in which he cannot correctly capture the chest, as well as the sucking reflex of the baby, the ability to swallow is disturbed. Such a situation in most cases occurs in premature babies or in children with developmental delay.
3. Diseases associated with the nervous and respiratory systems, in which the child cannot simultaneously breathe and eat. Diseases in this case are expressed in anxiety when a child is attached to the chest, in refusing to eat, despite the fact that the child is hungry.
4. The mother does not feed the baby on demand. At first, after birth, the baby often enough needs a feeding. If the mother does not listen to the urge of the child, weight loss may occur. The baby can be at the chest from 20 minutes to an hour, there are times when the mother does not have the patience to wait so long.

Often a deviation from the norm of weight loss in newborns in the hospital is associated with diseases and pathologies of the child. In this case, a thorough examination is required, and discharge from the hospital is allowed only if the baby began to gain weight. For example, with prematurity or low birth weight, an extract cannot take place until the baby returns to normal and begins to gain weight. Deviation from the permissible weight loss of the newborn is taken as a pathology that needs to be treated and controlled.

Signs of dehydration

Dehydration is the cause of the newborn’s weight loss in the hospital, which is very natural and not dangerous if the process is controlled. You need to know well the signs of dehydration that need to be treated. Symptoms include:

1. Sinking of the fontanel.
2. Constant dyspnea of ​​the baby.
3. Anxiety, poor sleep, moodiness.
4. Bright color of the mucosa.
5. Dry skin, peeling may appear.
6. The heart beats frequently.

In the event that the mother found one of the above signs, it is urgent to fill the water shortage in the body in any way. If this is not done in a timely manner, serious consequences can occur, including death. If dehydration is in a severe stage, then temperature, weakness in the body, and the symptoms listed above may appear more pronounced. In this case, a dropper is often used, the balance of the liquid can be restored only with the help of it.

Dehydration prevention

We said earlier that a baby is born with edema, and during the first days of life, they subside due to the loss of fluid in the body. This is normal weight loss in newborns, but at the same time, this process can be controlled so that excess fluid does not leave the body. To prevent dehydration, you must:

1. Give the baby access to the breast no matter what time and how often the baby asks for food. After all, the children's body knows perfectly how much it needs, when and in what quantities. Even if it seems to you that the baby is near the chest for a long time, and it is time to tear it off, you should not do this. It must be remembered that the feeding process is not just a meal, it is contact with the mother, which is so necessary for any baby.
2. The microclimate must also be maintained to control physiological weight loss in newborns. The room temperature should not exceed 22-24 degrees, and it is advisable to moisten the air regularly. Wet cleaning should be done twice a day, namely: wipe the floor and furniture in the children's room. That is why the weight loss of the newborn in the maternity hospital is especially controlled, because a favorable microclimate is maintained in the medical institution.
3. The skin, as you probably already understood, can say a lot about the state of health of the newborn. In the event that mom or doctors noticed redness, dryness, peeling of the skin, it is necessary to conduct an examination and identify the cause. In addition, it is necessary to milk the baby with water, but after feeding, in order to further prevent the baby from refusing to feed.

Proper care and recovery

We examined the rate of weight loss of the newborn in the early days, but did not pay attention to recovery and weight gain. There is no way to prevent weight loss, and you must understand this. This is quite normal for a newborn. In the event that proper care is organized, breastfeeding is established, and all the conditions for recovery are formed, the baby will soon begin to gain body weight.

A healthy child experiences weight loss within 4 days of birth, already on the 5-6th day, weight gain begins. On day 6-8 (maximum 14), the weight of the child will return to its previous level. With proper nutrition, the baby will add from 125 to 500 grams in 7 days.

A prolonged recovery, as well as a strong weight gain, may indicate deviation and health problems. It is very important to observe not only the feeding regimen, but also the drinking one. If the baby rarely urinates or has dense stools, he should be actively doped after breastfeeding with plain water. If the child is on artificial nutrition, he just needs a drink, and the more the better.

What happens to the baby after birth?

Every mom needs to know what else, in addition to losing weight, happens to her baby after birth. The phenomena considered by us further, if they become severe, are an indication for prolonged observation of the mother and baby in the hospital, in which case the discharge is postponed:

1. In the first days of life, the skin of a child can acquire a jaundice, this is due to the immaturity of the enzymes that form in the liver. Jaundice appears in a newborn on 2-3 days, reaches a maximum by 6, and then gradually disappears. In a normal healthy baby, by the end of the second week, all signs of jaundice will disappear, if this does not happen, you must consult a doctor. This phenomenon is called physiological jaundice, in some it may be poorly expressed, in others, on the contrary, it is stronger, the degree depends on the individual characteristics, predisposition, as well as the genetics of the baby. A difficult birth, asphyxia can also lead to a serious form of pathology, one of which is a hemolytic disease. This is the process of destroying red blood cells. In such cases, a blood transfusion is often required.
2. A baby's regurgitation is the return discharge of milk into the oral cavity from the stomach immediately on the feeding field, or after a long period. Sparse and rare regurgitation is normal for the baby. They are caused by a small volume of the stomach, swallowing air with milk, immaturity of the swallowing process. Abundant, frequent, increasing regurgitation can be a manifestation of a stomach defect. In this case, the child begins to rapidly lose weight or his weight stops at one point, dehydration develops. A solution to this problem is possible only surgically.
3. Immature and premature babies with signs of developmental delay also remain in the hospital for some time for observation. In such babies, the adaptation period is more difficult than in healthy ones, which is why control by doctors is necessary.
4. Children born in a state of asphyxia, that is, undergoing oxygen starvation, are the subject of examination by doctors. In this case, nerve cells become more sensitive, muscle tone is impaired, frequent spitting up occurs. All this is an indication for observation by a doctor.

We examined several of the most frequent situations, upon the occurrence of which discharge from the maternity hospital may be delayed for a short period. In most cases, the presence of diseases or developmental abnormalities is indicated by the rapid weight loss of the child. That is why it is necessary to closely monitor your baby and react in time to a possible danger.