Newborn Intensive Care: What every parent should know

The birth of a baby is a rewarding, exciting and joyful event. But when everything does not go perfectly, and a baby is born prematurely or with an illness, parents may also feel anxious, confused, sad or angry. They want answers to a multitude of questions about their baby's condition and what will happen in the coming days, weeks and years. Newborn Intensive Care: was originally developed as a guidebook for parents of patients, but it is so content-rich that it has become a popular reference for medical professionals as well who are unfamiliar with NICU management issues. "This is a wonderful book that can help parents navigate an emotionally challenging time," said Dr. John Kattwinkel, a neonatologist who wrote a foreword to the book. "Intensive care can be stressful and overwhelming for families. 'Newborn Intensive Care' will help parents gain confidence to prepare for discussions with the doctors and nurses caring for their baby."

Breast Feeding Your Preemie

Usually babies born prior to 31 or 32 weeks gestation cannot breastfeed until they are deemed stable. However, breast milk can still be given to the infant through a feeding tube that goes through the nose or mouth to the stomach.

In order to establish a milk supply, start pumping your breasts within six hours of delivery. Then, pump every three to four hours for 15 to 20 minutes to continue stimulation and mimic a full-term baby's feeding schedule. Kolder recommends using a hospital grade, double electric breast pump with a cycling of 60 to 70 times per minute and a suction strength of 215 to 225 to maximize efficiency.

"A lot of pumps at the local stores have a cycling of 18 to 20 times per minute and suction strength of 20 to 30," she says. "And the strength of a battery-operated pump is dependent on how good the batteries are."

Collect and freeze every drop of milk expressed. "In the beginning a woman produces colostrum, which is like gold," Buerger says. "Pumping empowers the mom because even if she can't have her baby at home and take care of it, this is the one thing only she can provide that is vital to her baby." As soon as the baby is stable, Mom can attempt breastfeeding. "At 32 weeks they may not feed for nutrition, but it is very rewarding for the mom and something she can look forward to," Kolder says.

Benefits: The Breastfeeding/Breastmilk Advantage

According to a report put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics, extensive research documents the advantages of breastfeeding, including health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic and environmental benefits. Additional research concludes that breast milk significantly decreases risk for a variety of acute and chronic diseases.