Know About Premature Baby Weight Gain And Weight Chart by Dr Lathiesh Kumar Kambham

6 min read

Reviewed by Dr Lathiesh MBBS, MD (Pediatrics)
DM (Neonatology), Lead Neonatology and NICU Services
Aster Women & Children's Hospital
17 years of experience

Dr Lathiesh

MBBS, MD (Pediatrics)
DM (Neonatology), Lead Neonatology and NICU Services
Aster Women & Children's Hospital
17 years of experience

Dr. Lathiesh Kumar Kambham is a Neonatologist and Paediatrician with over 12 years of experience. He has a special interest in the management of birth asphyxiated babies and extreme preterms and ha More

Written by Editorial Team

Editorial Team

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting..

premature baby weight gain

Do you have a preemie? Do you want to make sure that they are on the right track when it comes to weight gain? Are you in search of more information on the optimal weight gain for your preemie?

If the answers to these questions are yes, then continue reading to know more about premature baby weight gain and the weight chart that will help you to learn about the weight your premature baby should be gaining every week.

Who is a Premature Baby?

Many parents, especially the new mothers, often feel anxious over their baby’s weight and the rate at which the newborn is gaining weight. — General weight gain can be a point of — worry and tension for parents of premature babies. A baby is regarded as premature if they are born any time before 37 weeks of gestation. The preemie has to overcome several obstacles regarding their health. To know more on the common health issue of premature babies Read here.

Some of the most significant factors that ought to be taken care of when it comes to preemies are, providing them optimum nourishment and ensuring adequate weight gain. Both these factors are vital for the overall health and development of the baby. Premature baby’s nutritional needs will not be the same as the babies who are born full-term.

How Much Does a Premature Baby Generally Weigh?

Full term babies weigh around 3 kg. However, the weight of the preterm babies depends on how early the baby is born. More often preemies weigh less than 2.3 kg. The weight gain is directly proportional to the time of delivery. Earlier the delivery, lesser will be the weight of the preemie.

Due to various advances in the field of medical science, more than 90% of premature babies weighing 800 grams or more, that is, a little under 2 pounds, are able to survive. 60 % of preemies weighing more than 500 gms, will be able to pull through the various hurdles they will face after birth. Apart from these facts, some preemies, especially those who are born closer to the due date are found to weigh nearly as much as full-term infants. To know more on early challenges and care for premature babies read here.

How is the Age of Premature Baby Calculated?

When it comes to growth and development,— finding out if the preemie is catching up with the milestones, — is important to figure out the premature baby’s exact age!

Yes, you celebrate your baby’s birthday on the day they were born. However, for reading the growth chart correctly, the age calculations need to be done a little differently. Premature babies go by their altered age. Here is a simple way to calculate it:

Subtract the number of weeks they are premature from the current week. That is, if the baby is 12 weeks old, and if they have arrived three weeks earlier, then you should check the premature baby weight chart to see if they are catching up with the milestone of 9 weeks instead of 12 weeks (12-3).

When do Premature Babies Start Gaining Weight?

The weight gain of the premature babies depend on a lot of factors and one of them is how soon the baby is born. Premature babies start gaining weight in a few days after birth:

If the baby is born too early and is too small, they will only gain around 5 grams per day.
If the baby is born too close to the due date, they will gain around 15 to 20 gms per day.

Premature Baby Weight Calculator

The following is a premature baby weight chart that will help you to understand desired weight gain of a preemie week by week

Preemie Growth Chart
Please Note: The measurements given here are averages, and healthy babies may be larger or smaller
Gestational Age (Weeks)	Average Weight (Grams)	Average Weight (Ounces)	Average Length (Centimeters)	Average Length (Inches)	Average Head Circumference (Centimeters)	Average Head Circumference (Inches)
23	584	20.6	29.9	11.8	20.9	8.2
24	651	23.0	31.1	12.2	21.8	8.6
25	737	26.0	32.3	12.7	22.7	8.9
26	827	29.2	33.6	13.2	23.6	9.3
27	936	33.0	35	13.8	24.5	9.6
28	1061	37.4	36.5	14.4	25.5	10.0
29	1204	42.5	38	15.0	26.5	10.4
30	1373	48.4	39.5	15.6	27.5	10.8
31	1546	54.5	41	16.1	28.4	11.2
32	1731	61.1	42.3	16.7	29.3	11.5
33	1956	69.0	43.7	17.2	30.2	11.9
34	2187	77.1	45	17.7	31.1	12.2
35	2413	85.1	46.2	18.2	31.9	12.6
36	2664	94.0	47.4	18.7	32.7	12.9
37	2937	103.6	48.5	19.1	33.3	13.1
38	3173	111.9	49.5	19.5	33.7	13.3
39	3338	117.7	50.2	19.8	34	13.4
40	3454	121.8	50.8	20.0	34.3	13.5
41	3530	124.5	51.3	20.2	34.5	13.6

Weight Gain and Feeding of Preemie

If your preemie is born earlier than 34 weeks, feeding will obviously be a reason for worry. You will not be able to breastfeed the baby or even feed by using a bottle. This is because your preemie is not mature enough to suck, breath and gulp at the same time. But then it is very important for the baby to get enough nutrition for gaining proper weight.

The premature babies are prone to a lot of complications that can interfere with their capability to feed by mouth. The risk of choking is very high and can be dangerous for the preemies. Some of the issues include:

Breathing difficulties
Low level of oxygen
Issues related to circulatory system

A neonatal pediatric specialist will first evaluate your baby’s condition and then will decide the best method of feeding in the initial days. Here are some alternative feeding methods for the preemies:

1. Feeding Through IV Lines

The fluids and nutrition can be given through intravenous (IV line), which is placed in arm, leg or even the soft skull of the preemie. This method is suggested if:

The baby is extremely premature and the digestive system is also immature.
The baby develops breathing problems as their lungs are not fully developed.

feeding premature baby (1)

2. Gavage Feeding

Gavage feeding is a method through which breast milk or formula is directly carried to the baby’s stomach. A tube is put through the baby’s nose to carry breast milk or formula to the stomach. This method is suggested for:

The preemies who are too small or weak and have problem coordinating their suck and swallow.
If they have lung and heart problems.
Babies whose digestive system is mature enough to digest the breast milk or formula that is given to them.

3. Breast and Bottle Feeding

Once the baby has developed the skill of harmonizing sucking and swallowing, the medical team will help the parents to attempt breast-feeding. The mother and child will be discharged from the hospital only after the mother is able to feed the baby and the baby can swallow and digest the milk given to them.

Breast milk is the best choice for your baby. If you are making enough milk, you can express milk and the pumped breast milk can be given to the baby once they are ready for either gavage, breastfeeding or bottle feeding. If the breast milk is not sufficient then donor breast milk or formula milk are other options.

The quantity of milk or formula is gradually increased, especially in case of very premature babies. There may be a need to mix a supplement called human milk fortifier in the breast milk for the preemies who are fed only breast milk in order to provide them with extra proteins, calcium, vitamins, iron and calories. More frequent feeding is needed for preemies as they are in need of more nutrition and are prone to dehydration.

Every baby grows and gains weight at a different rate. As long as your baby is healthy and happy you have nothing to worry about.

FAQ’s

1. How Much do Premature Babies Weight at Birth?

It varies from baby to baby. They can weigh as low as 2 Kgs too at 35 weeks. Below 2.5 Kgs at birth is considered under weight.

2. Is Very Low Birth Weight Risky?

Yes, it is. Even premature babies need to weigh close to 590 grams. Below this makes survival difficult.

3. How Much Should my Baby Weight if Born at 27 Weeks?

Your baby should be close to a kilo. 936 grams to be precise. Below this is considered under weight.

4. How Can I Help My Preemie Gain Weight?

Check with your doctor. Regular feeding – breast milk or formula is only recommended. Do not give anything else to increase weight.

Editorial Team,

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.

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