The Reason Why The Baby Is Not Gaining Weight
After feeding the newborn at regular intervals, changing diapers, and comforting through the night, you suddenly notice that a couple of weeks have passed and your baby’s weight isn’t increasing. To help your baby gain weight, they need to consume more calories than what their body requires. There are three reasons why weight gain may not occur:
- The child is not consuming enough calories.
- The child's body is not absorbing the calories it consumes
- Baby's body is burning more calories.
Not Consuming Enough Calories
Healthy full-term breastfed babies usually breastfeed every 2 to 3 hours. Formula-fed babies need 1.5 to 2 ounces of formula every 3 hours. Feeding times increase as their bellies grow, but some babies may not get the calories they need. The question may come to mind why is this?
Sleeping Baby
Newborns may be asleep, so if you’re trying to wake or wake your baby, gently tickle their feet, remove the blanket, or simply remove the diaper and put it on. Many times it is seen that the child does not consume enough calories due to sleep.
Learning effort
Babies need to learn feeding, breathing and swallowing. Some may take a little longer than others to adapt to it. Make sure on your part that they are deeply attached to you while feeding. It is very important for good breastfeeding.
Starting solid foods is difficult
Pediatricians recommend starting solid food from 6 months of age. Even after starting solid foods, most of their calories will come from breast milk or formula in the first year.Sometimes weight gain may be less when starting solid food. Make sure your baby is eating other foods regularly even after they start breastfeeding or formula.
The body does not absorb the calories that the child consumes
Why this might happen, research suggests –
Food allergies and sensitivities
A small number of children have food allergies or intolerances. Consult a doctor immediately if you suspect that your child has an allergy problem. Gluten and dairy products can be difficult for food-sensitive babies to digest and can irritate their intestines, leading to diarrhea. If you are breastfeeding and your baby has allergies, you can change the baby’s feeding plan to see if changing his diet can stop the diarrhea. If the baby is formula fed, try changing the formula.
Jaundice
Studies show that children with severe jaundice are more likely to lose weight. Some children need extra calories because they metabolize the calories they take in faster.
Pre-mature child
Babies born before 37 weeks need more calories than full-term babies.
Breathing problems
Children with respiratory problems require more calories for overexertion, which they need to exert themselves and grow tissues .
Heart disease
Research shows that children with heart disease expend 40% more energy. If they are starving, they struggle to gain weight.
Concerns about healthy weight gain
Trying to figure out if your baby is gaining enough weight can be a cause for concern. As a parent of a newborn you have enough options to think about each day without stressing about every feed. The first step to getting rid of this worry is to take your child for regular checkups with the doctor.
Monitor baby's growth
Pediatricians use growth charts to monitor a child’s normal growth. A healthy normal boy and girl gain weight at different rates. Breastfed babies generally gain weight more slowly than formula fed babies in the first year of life. If you are breastfeeding, the baby’s weight should be measured against the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standard charts, as these charts reflect the growth of breastfed babies. Doctors tell mothers, if the child has passed 6 or more urines in 24 hours, then he is in good condition.
Failure to succeed
When babies don’t gain enough weight, their overall growth and development suffers. In this case, they may not grow as tall as they should and may be delayed in acquiring skills such as walking. Their growth may be similarly affected.
How to help your baby gain weight
The first step is to eliminate the problem that is preventing your baby from getting the calories he needs. If your child has difficulty swallowing, vomits between meals, seems to have food allergies or reflux, or diarrhea, contact a pediatrician.
Also, if you think baby isn’t getting enough breast milk, don’t worry – there are tricks to increase it. Keep the baby close to you, breastfeed every hour or two and rest. Take enough food and drink yourself. It will increase milk production.
Remember before stressing about the baby’s weight, check if the baby is healthy. If the children are healthy and growing at a certain pace, you don’t need to worry about whether they are fat and tall. The child is moving at the right pace. May all children smile in their mother’s arms.