Nutrient intake during the first year of life greatly affects a baby’s overall health, growth, development and cognitive ability.  The stomachs of premature babies are smaller than a full-term baby’s, so it’s even more critical to make every drop of nutrition count.  For newborn preemies, breast milk is the best nutrition.  But to achieve the full amount of nutrients and calories they need for optimal growth, many preemies require supplementation with additional vitamins or an enriched formula specifically designed for premature babies.  Even once they advance to solid foods, these babies still typically need more nutrient-rich diets than their full-term counterparts during the early years of life.

Simply being born early puts preemies –even those born just a few weeks before their due date –at risk for health challenges later in life.  But with proper nutrition, most of these babies can thrive.  Here are a few ways in which proper nutrition can give preemies a boost towards a healthy life.

 

Accelerating growth

Babies born prematurely do not get the benefit of a full nine months in the womb, so they often have to work hard to “catch up” in growth and development after birth.   Without a full store of nutrients in their bodies when they are born, premature babies have a more difficult time achieving a proper nutrient balance.  To make matters worse, their digestive systems are immature and many preemies have underdeveloped muscles and reflexes that make it harder for them to be fed orally.  But, most of the time, preemies do “catch up” to their full-term peers once they are able to receive adequate nutrition.  Parents can help accelerate their preemie’s growth by ensuring their baby receives a balanced set of nutrients and sufficient calories without overfeeding.  This can be achieved by supplementing breast milk with vitamins or providing an enriched formula during the newborn period and providing healthy, nutrient-dense foods during the toddler years.  When these babies do grow appropriately, they become stronger and better equipped to tackle the developmental milestones that help them reach their full potential.

 

Optimizing brain development

The first three years of life are a period of incredible brain growth.  A child’s brain doubles in size during the first year and achieves 80% of its adult size by the age of three.  Proper nutrition is essential for normal brain development during these critical years.  Shortages of nutrients such as iron, iodine and zinc can impair cognitive and motor development, and these effects are sometimes irreversible.  Premature babies do not get the benefit of a full nine month’s worth of iron stores, so they can often experience iron deficiency after birth.  Many preemies will therefore need iron supplements for several months or even years, and can benefit from more iron-rich foods as toddlers.

 

Minimizing long-term health challenges

Unhealthy eating during the early years can contribute to health problems like obesity, diabetes and heart disease later in life.  Even during infancy, the foods babies eat can have a significant impact on long-term health.  A healthy nutritional intake during the first few years of life may also reduce the risk of developing food allergies and other noncommunicable diseases later on.  Low-income families, for whom access to healthy, nutritious foods may be limited, face a particularly challenging situation.  Food insecure children are more vulnerable to chronic health conditions, delayed development and are hospitalized more often than their food secure peers.

For these reasons and more, proper nutrition is critical for all babies, and preemies in particular, to help them get the best start in life.  This is why the first module of the Pebbles of Hope Thrive Guide will focus on nutrition.  Stay tuned for more updates on the progress of the Thrive Guide and learn more about ways to help the preemies in your life thrive.