Thank you for your reply. My grandson Micheal is doing better now. I have heard about the many ups and downs. My daughter in law is pumping for him so Im sure thats helping him alot. I know we need to take one step at a time but have you heard when you will be able to tell if there is any mental disabilitys ? I know that sometimes by the apperance alone some are detected. I wish your baby continued health, Michaels grammy
i had a 27 weeker about 21 months ago and she also had trouble tolerating food. so i think it is normal for that to happen with most preemies. hang in there you will have lots of ups and downs. but the residuals will slow down. breast milk is best for all preemies. is your daughter breast feeding?
It is common for extremely premature infants such as your grandson to have feeding intolerance even at 2 weeks of life. Depending upon the individual baby, feeding can often seem to advance fitfully with many setbacks. This is a reflection of the immature development of the premature intestinal tract, which can take time to achieve full function.
Your grandson is likely to be receiving Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), which provides all the nutrients required for growth and development through IV fluids. TPN includes not only glucose, but also amino acids (for protein building), essential fats, vitamins, and minerals.
As the intestinal tract is able to tolerate more feeding, the TPN will gradually be reduced. Breastmilk is generally considered to be the best nutrition for a premature infant, although there are some rare circumstances where special formulas may be indicated.