A female client at 32 weeks’ gestation gives birth to a baby girl. The newborn weighs 1400 grams. When managing the newborn’s nutritional needs, which of the following actions by the nurse midwife is the most appropriate?
Explanation
Answer: C - The most appropriate action is to prepare the newborn for parenteral hyperalimentation. Premature babies born sooner than 34 weeks’ gestation find it hard to feed from a breast or bottle because they have difficulty coordinating sucking, breathing and swallowing. Newborns weighing less than 1500 grams are considered very low-birth weight infants. These newborns are nourished intravenously. As they get older and stronger, gavage feeding may be initiated. If the newborn is born at 35 weeks’ gestation and is able to tolerate oral feedings, breast milk may be given through a bottle using a preemie nipple. To prevent dehydration, it is recommended that mothers of premature babies, unlike mothers of full-term babies, not wait four hours between feedings.
