Control weighing: concept, purpose and rules of the procedure
Control weighing: concept, purpose and rules of the procedure

Video: Control weighing: concept, purpose and rules of the procedure

Video: Control weighing: concept, purpose and rules of the procedure
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Expecting a baby is an exciting process full of worries. But with the advent of a newborn, concern for his he alth only intensifies. Many questions arise in the mind of parents. Is the child eating well? Is he getting enough breast milk? How is the weight gain and physical development of the baby? Is it appropriate for the child's age? Control weighing will help answer these and other questions.

expecting a baby
expecting a baby

Relevance of the event

Parents whose babies are bottle-fed rarely need this kind of medical procedure. Feeding a specially formulated formula has one big advantage. Mom always knows how much her child ate. But what about when it comes to breastfeeding? How to determine the amount of food consumed? A special procedure will help parents with this.

Medicine procedure concept

Control weighing a child is a medical technique. With its help, doctors determine the amount of breast milk drunk by a newborn inthe process of feeding. Mathematical calculation during the procedure establishes not only the amount of food eaten, but also helps to track weight gain or lack of it.

This technique has its roots in the Soviet period. At that time, women had to leave the decree early. Grandmothers took care of the upbringing and feeding of the children. Carrying out a control weighing helped them to establish whether the baby had eaten enough and whether he had enough milk to drink before the next arrival of his mother. Despite the fact that such a medical service is a relic of the past, it does not lose its relevance.

baby in diapers
baby in diapers

Indications for the procedure

Normal weight gain is an indicator of a child's he althy development in the first months of life. The control weighing procedure is not a whim of doctors or parents. Medical service is not just prescribed. In cases where the child has a well-developed sucking reflex, when he actively takes his mother's breast and gains weight in accordance with the norm and level of physical development, such a procedure does not make sense. Doctors recommend a weight control technique in the presence of serious medical indications. Control weighing becomes in demand in the following cases:

  1. Baby actively loses weight after birth. This pathological weight loss can lead to serious consequences, including malnutrition.
  2. The baby was born premature and weak.
  3. The newborn sucks inactively at the mother's breast.

Weight control is recommendedparents during the illness of the baby, when his appetite decreases. The medical procedure also helps to identify the necessary calculation of supplementary feeding with adapted milk formula when switching to a mixed diet or during the introduction of complementary foods.

baby at the reception
baby at the reception

Equipment for conducting

The newborn's control weighing procedure is a set of actions that can be carried out by both doctors and parents at home. To carry out measurements, you will need an electronic scale, a disposable or cotton diaper and a notebook in which the results of the study will be recorded.

scales for control
scales for control

Checkweighing in a medical setting: an algorithm

When confronted with the newborn weight control procedure and the lack of the necessary equipment at home, doctors suggest that it be carried out within the walls of the clinic. For this, a special day is appointed when parents are required to visit the attending physician. Before starting weighing, the pediatrician explains the purpose and necessity of carrying out measuring manipulations, and also gives an explanation for its implementation. The control weighing algorithm includes the following recommendations:

  1. Treat the electronic scale with a disinfectant. This will eliminate the risk of infections and the development of inflammatory processes on the baby's skin. Adjust the meter to avoid inaccuracies in weighing.
  2. Turn on the appliance and place a disposable diaper or cotton cloth on it.
  3. Pre-undress the newborn. Put it on the scales. Record your body weight.
  4. Give the baby to mom for feeding. Check the correctness of the capture of the nipple by the baby.
  5. Repeat the measuring manipulations.
  6. Determine the difference between the first and second weighing. It will help determine the amount of milk drunk.
  7. Fix the result in the history of the child's development.
doctor's weight measurement
doctor's weight measurement

Home procedure

If you have a measuring device, you can carry out control weighing yourself at home. If you want to get reliable results, it is recommended to carry out the procedure at the same time. During the control weighing at home, you must perform the following algorithm of actions:

  1. Turn on the appliance and put a diaper on it.
  2. Put the baby on the scale. Record the result.
  3. Feed your baby for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Repeat the weighing procedure. Spot the difference.
  5. Fix the result.
baby on the scales
baby on the scales

How to control the dynamics of weight gain?

How often should I carry out the control weighing procedure? Do not forget that in the first months of life, a newborn eats about 6 times a day, or even more. And taking measurements of body weight before and after each feeding looks quite tiring for both the baby and the mother. Doctors recommend carrying out control weighing no more than once a day.day. Preferably at the same time.

All indicators should be recorded in a separate notebook. For this, mobile applications specially designed for nursing mothers are also suitable. Such programs for smartphones will help parents track the dynamics of weight gain, build graphs.

After a month, you should compare the indicators and establish how much the child's body weight has increased during the specified period. It is this result that will help determine how the baby develops. Does his height or weight ratio correspond to the norm. They will eliminate the possibility of underweight or excess and will help determine when the baby can already introduce complementary foods.

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