SOME ASPECTS OF INFANT FEEDING AND PHYSICAL GROWTH OF THE PREMATURE INFANTS

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of infant feeding and physical growth of the premature infants. The researchers present the results of the dynamic prospective observation for 133 premature infants, who have been born with the body weight of not less than 2,000 g., and gestation period of less than 34 weeks. The researchers have examined physical growth of children, depending on the instrumentally visualized pathomorphological changes in the central nervous system, degree of prematurity and character of infant feeding. The research shows that the existence of pathomorphological changes in the central nervous system does not influence the rates of the infant physical growth. The use of new technologies of premature infant feeding contributes to the substantially big monthly additions of the body weight within the first six months of life and does not have any evident impact on the rates of the body weight additions within another six months of life. The rates of the height growth of the modern premature infants do not differ much from the corresponding indicators among the children, who were born in 1979. By the end of the first year of life, the number of children, who suffer from oligotrophy of the 1st or 2nd degree, is on the rise.Key words: premature infants, addition of body weight and height growth, infants, infant feeding.