Just to get clear at first this is an opinion I came to many years ago when my friend had a premie the same time my daughter was born (16 years ago tomorrow) and isn't meant to discount any research or work by neonataligists (I spelled that so wrong I know).

My feeling is that many NICU's so stress out about growth in babies that Nancy pointed out - were supposed to still be drinking only amniotic fluid and getting all nutrition through the umbilical cord (and not doing any breathing or anything else that need to do outside the womb) that it can panic parents for years.  Everyone wants these babies to do something they would be doing under completely different circumstances that they can miss how much they are accomplishing.  The reason I came to this opinion was a letter I got from my friend after her son's recent check-up.  She was very distressed about his growth being slow - he was a year old and she had written what his height and weight were at that check-up and trying to figure out what else she could do to get it 'to catch up' faster.  Her son had been born about 2 months early weighing about 2 lbs (I remember it was a set of 2's since his birth was in February).  My daughter had been born 2 months before him (in December) a week late weighing 9 lbs 7 oz and healthy full term baby on the big side (also 21 in long - I can't remember his length).  When I received her letter her premie son (so 'behind' in his catch up growth) was about 2 lbs heavier and 2 in taller than my 14 month old daughter.  I remember thinking she's upset with this growth!?  My full term technically LGA baby at 14 months was smaller than a one year old premie!?  Her growth is so slow she can't even beat a premie!  When I pointed it out to her, her response was they so stress catch up growth and development she felt like a failure if he wasn't close to the top of the growth charts - but she had the same body type as me and I couldn't imagine her child being as big as she felt the doctors were expecting.

So while the well read part of me knows the importance of fortifiers and special care for these premies the mom part of me feels like it sets up parents to always feel like they aren't doing enough for their premie children.

Just my uninformed feelings on this very important topic.

Felicia Henry, IBCLC, BCCE
Oxnard, CA & getting the house & my classroom ready for Amanda's Sweet 16 Party.

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