The relation of caloric-volume intake to physiologic weight loss of the newborn.

Nurses who care for newborn infants must be aware of the physiologic changes that occur during the period of transition form intrauterine to extrauterine life. In order to plan and to provide effective Nursing; care, the nurse must know the normal range of physiologic change that occurs during this period. To provide nurses with this knowledge, Nursing; textbooks should contain valid information concerning physiologic weight loss of the newborn. The purpose of the present study was to examine the possibility that an increased caloric intake resulting from early provision of nutrient for the newborn mya reduce the amount of physiologic weight loss. The present study sought to determine (a) the mean weight loss of artificially fed infants, (b) if earlier initial feedings reduce the physiologic weight loss below the textbook figures of 5 to 10 per cent loss of birth weight, and (c) the relationship between caloric and volume intake and weight loss during the first 72 hours of extrauterine life. A sample of 116 neonates from three hospital nurseries was studied. These nurseries represented different feeding practices in terms of the time of the initial feeding which varied from four to twelve hours following birth. Data were collected over a period of six months and included the infant’s birth weight and records of his weight obtained at 12 hour intervals during the first 72 hours following birth. Information concerning body temperature and nutrient intake was obtained from the infant’s hospital chart. The relationship between caloric and volume intake and physiologic weight loss was investigated in one group of 46 subjects. There was no significant correlation between caloric intake and percentage weight loss. A low negative correlation, significant at the .05 level, was obtained between volume intake and percentage weight loss. The mean percentage weight loss of 4.71 per cent for the total sample was less than the 5 to 10 per cent range stated in several Nursing; textbooks. Percentage weight loss varied form 0.0 to 11.1 per cent. There was no significant difference in the mean weight loss among the three nursery groups. The study should be repeated after precise methods to weigh the infant and to record the infant’s weight and nutrient intake have been standardized. Determination of the percentage weight loss in breast fed infants would provide additional data needed to evaluate the accuracy of textbook figures concerning the amount of physiologic weight loss in the newborn infant.