<b>Weight evaluation of premature newborn in the neonatal intermediate care unit</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v9i3.12555

Abstract

Health care professionals should become familiar with the follow up of a newborn (NB) growth as well as the techniques and the criteria used in its evaluation. It aimed to evaluate the weight gain of premature newborns at a Neonatal Unit and describe the variables on feeding and types of milk, medications, and gastrointestinal alterations that have been influencing on their weight gain. Exploratory-descriptive study carried out with eighteen premature newborns hospitalized in a maternity of Fortaleza-Ceará-Brazil, from July to August 2005. The data about daily weight, ways and type of feeding, use of medications, gastrointestinal alterations were extracted from patient´s records. It was identified that 16 (88.9%) were moderate preterm, and 10 (55.6%) were low birth weight (<2.500g) babies. The findings showed a gain of 20 to 30g of weight per day, which is considered satisfactory; however, it had influences on the nutrition with the use of nutritional supplements and antibiotics. It was concluded that the weight evaluation of premature babies is a strategy to promote health at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.