Baby Scales Save Babies

By Joann Parker

Infant scales are utilized to measure out breast milk and the weight of infants.

Once a baby is born prematurely or has another medical problem a infant weigh scale is used. Physicians utilize these scales to evaluate breast milk consumption. The infant is weighed prior to breastfeeding and afterwards. This allows physicians to know precisely how much breast milk the infant is consuming. The weighing machine is so accurate that it can measure the difference of a half teaspoon of breast milk.

If you find that your infant is not putting on weight, you had better take this in earnest. Be sure that your infant is being weighed right. Your baby had better be weighed on the same weighing machine because there are small deviations between any two weighing machines. You are able to use a normal scale to check how much a baby weighs and then if you observe zero weight gain, use a more responsive infant scale.

You also should weigh your baby once a week, because of the daily weight variation due to feedings, urination, bowel movements, etc. If the weight remains accurate and you know that your baby is either gaining no weight or losing weight, baby should be seen and evaluated by a doctor immediately.

If your baby's weight increases by an amount that seems too small, check if you are feeding your baby correctly. You should be feeding your baby about six times a day. If you are feeding breast milk to your baby, does your baby seem like she is full enough after a feeding or is he still crying? If you are using formula are you mixing and preparing the formula according to the directions?

After a baby is about six months old, they need supplementary calories from solid foods. Are you giving your baby solid foods a couple of times a day? Does your baby vomit the solid food back up? Even if everything appears to be normal, you should still ask the doctor about your baby's weight.

A congenital heart defect can also cause a baby to weigh less than he should. A congenital heart defect is when the heart or blood vessels near the heart have not developed normally before birth.

Healthy babies generally double their birth weight between 4 and 5 months old. A baby with a congenital heart defect may grow more slowly during early childhood, although the development often changes according to the type and severity of the condition. An eight-ounce to one-pound gain in a month may be an acceptable weight gain for a baby with a heart defect. You will need to weigh your baby, and the pediatrician can do so for this or whatever other circumstance. The baby is usually weighed monthly, and the measurements will show how well your baby is developing. - 31376

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