This document provides guidance on approaching very low birth weight infants. It defines low birth weight as under 2500g and very low birth weight as under 1500g. Causes of low birth weight include preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction from medical issues in the mother or placenta, as well as social factors. Very low birth weight infants face risks like hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and infections. Their management involves careful monitoring, thermoregulation, infection control, nutrition support, and screening for complications like retinopathy of prematurity. Both hospital care and home care focus on supporting growth and development through frequent feeding and supplementation. Prevention strategies target improving maternal nutrition, anemia treatment, infection control, and family

1. How to approach very low birth weight infant
Dr. Ashok Yadav
Resident, Year - 1
Department of Neonatology

2. Definition, types and importance
Introduction
01
Explaining causes of low birth weight.
Causes of LBW
02
Explaining all the problems of low birth weight.
Problems of LBW
03
History, examination, investigations and treatment.
Approach and management
04
Headlines
Direct and indirect intervention.
Prevention
05

3. Introduction
BIRTH WEIGHT
• First weight of fetus or new born obtained after birth.
Importance of birth weight
• It is single most important determinant for survival,
growth and development of infant.
• Reflects health status of mother during adolescence
and pregnancy and also quality of antenatal care.

4. LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
• Any infant with a birth weight of less than 2500gm
with in 1 hr. of birth regardless of gestational age.
GRADING
Birth weight Grade
2500 – 1500 gm Low birth weight
1500 – 1000 gm Very low birth weight
< 1000 gm Extremely low birth weight
<800gm Micro preemie

5. Types of LBW
2 types based on the origin
preterm Small-for-date(SDF)/IUGR
<37 completed weeks of
gestation
< 10th centile for gestational age
Account for 1/3 rd of LBW Account for 2/3rd of LBW

6. CAUSES of LBW
Low birth weight includes 2 groups
1) Preterm babies(<37Wks)
2) IUGR
In nearly 50% of cases of LBW the cause is not known
In remaining 50% the causes are grouped into.
a) medical
b) social

7. a) Medical causes
1. Maternal causes :PIH , anaemia, low maternal
age,chronic HTN,preeclampsia,short stature
2. Placental causes :Placenta previa, Abruptio
placenta, Congenital defects of placenta etc,
3. Fetal causes :Multiple gestation, Chromosomal
disorder, intrauterine infections etc.

8. b) Social causes
• Poverty, Illiteracy
• Ignorance, Poor standard of living,
• Lack of knowledge on family planning
• Early marriages, smoking etc

9. LBW (Preterm) : Problems
Early
• Hypothermia
• Hypoglycaemia
• Respiratory distress
syndrome
• Infections
• Haemorrhage-
intraventricular, GI,
Pulmonary
• Problems of gut-NEC,
GERD
• Exaggeration of
physiological jaundice
• Patent ductus
arteriosus(PDA)
• Anaemia of prematurity

10. Late
• Metabolic bone disease-rickets of prematurity,
osteopenia of prematurity
• Retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)
• Delayed growth and development
• Cerebral palsy or other neurological deficit

11. VLBW (Approach and Management)
Relevant History
• Age of mother-young
• Multiple pregnancies
• Previous LBW infants
• Poor nutrition
• Infection during pregnancy
• Antepartum hemorrhage
• Heart disease/Hypertension
• Economic status
• Drug addiction
• Alcohol abuse
• Insufficient prenatal care

12. • Antenatal: Fundal height, abdominal girth
• After Birth :Birth weight and vital signs (heart
rate,Spo2,respiratory rate,capillary refill
time,temperature,pulse and blood pressure) should
measure
• Complete physical examination from head
to toe.
• All systemic examination should be done.
Examination

13. Physical maturity
• Skin texture: Preterm-smooth, shiny, oedematus.
IUGR-Dry, loose,thick.
• Hair: Preterm-soft, downy hair called lanugo.
IUGR-Thick dark hair.
• Planter crease:Preterm-reduced or absent.
IUGR-Covering entire foot.
• Breast bud: less developed in premature babies.

14. Cont….
• Ear: soft in case of premature babies.
• Genitals, male: check for testis and how the scortum
looks –smooth or wrinkled.
• Genitals, female: labia majora widely saperated in
case of premature babies

15. Laboratory investigations
• Complete blood count with differential
• Random blood sugar
• Serum electrolyte
• Pulse oximetry
• Arterial blood gas
• Chest radiography
• Echocardiography
• USG of brain
• Others according to requirements

16. Management
Interventions during pregnancy and labour
• Antenatal corticosteroid injection.
• If rapture of membrane before onset of labour-
Antibiotics should be given.

17. Contd.
Delivery management
• LBW is prone to be asphyxiated.
• Management at birth according to guidelines of
resuscitation.
• Consider -Early intubation
-Early CPAP
-Prevent hypothermia
-Prevent hyperoxia

18. Special care at Hospital
1.Prevention of hypothermia
• Child is kept under incubator /radiant warmer– it
maintains the temperature , humidity and o2
supply , till weight increases to 2000g.
• Kangaroo mother care(KMC)
• Warm transport
• Postpone bathing till 72 hrs of age.
• Careful monitoring of O2 supply:
low O2 – hypoxia and cerebral palsy
high O2 – retinopathy of prematurity

19. Contd…
2.Prevention of infections
• Prophylactic antibiotics to prevent septicemia.
• Separate nurses for feeding and toilet attending.
• Barrier nursing to prevent cross infections.

20. Contd…
3.Correction of malnutrition
• The baby is already malnourished.
• Further malnutrition should be prevented.
• Tube feeding is done because baby is in incubator
and it is too young to suck mothers milk.

21. Contd…
4.Correction of electrolyte imbalance.
5.Management of others complication accordingly.

23. Guidelines for starting fluid and
electrolytes and glucose(Day-1)
Birth weight Starting
volume(ml/kg/day)
Types of fluid
<1000gm 90 5%Dextrose in Aqua
1000-1500gm 80 7.5-10 % Dextrose
in Aqua
>1500gm 60 10% Dextrose in
Aqua
[ Increase fluid volume at a rate of 15-20 ml/kg/day to
reach 150-180ml/kg/day at 7 days of age.Use dextrose
in aqua up to 24 hrs of age then replace by Dextrose in
0.225% saline]

24. Special care at Home
1 Prevention of hypothermia
• Avoid bath till baby attains 2500g weight.
• Cover baby with clean dry & warm cloth.
• Bottles filled with warm water & covered with thin
cloth are kept on both sides (or) baby without blanket
is kept near 60 candle bulb burning.
• Kangaroo mother care(KMC).

25. 2.Prevention of infections
• Gentle and minimal handling
• Handling with clean hands
• Room must be warm, clean and dust-free
• Immunization at right time

26. 3.Correction of malnutrition
• As LBW babies cannot suck milk actively , it gets tired
faster.
• So frequent breast feeding must be given almost
every alternate hour.

27. Supplements in preterm infants<35
weeks and /or<1500 gm
• Add multivitamins pediatric drop 0.3ml OD from 2 wks
and /or when full feeds have been achieved ;continue
after discharge till 6 months.
• Folic acid :dose 50mcg/day every alternate day for 6
months.
• Add iron (1ml=50mg) at the following doses.
• 1 drop OD (2mg/kg/day) at 4 wks of age for 2 weeks.
• 1 drop BD(4mg/kg/day) at 6 weeks of age.
• 2 drop BD (5-6mg/kg/day) at 1.8kg and continue till 6
months of age.

28. EARLY DISCHARGE
• Criteria for discharge:
• Hemodynamically stable
• Has cross birth wt. and shows stable weight gain for at
least 3 consecutive days.wt. atleast >1500gm.
• Baby should feed well on breast milk.
• Temperature should be maintained in open crib.
• There should not be any evidence of illness.
• Successful ‘in-hospital adaptation’ of the mother and
other members of the family.
• ROP,Hearing,Thyroid screening has completed.

29. FOLLOW-UP
• After discharge , KMC is continued at home.
• Follow-up is done daily by the health worker for one
week and ensured that baby is feeding well and
gaining about 40g weight daily.
• Afterwards once a week till the baby reaches 40
weeks of post conceptional age.

30. PREVENTION OF LBW BABY
A . DIRECT INTERVENTION MEASURES
• Prevention of malnutrition - By nutritional education
and supplementation of vitamins and minerals.
• Prevention of anemia - By distribution of IFA tablets
• Control of infections - By early diagnosis and prompt
treatment.
• Avoid strenuous exercise , smoking & alcohol among
pregnant mothers.

31. B . INDIRECT INTERVENTION
These are mainly family welfare services such as
• Deciding age at marriage.
• Deciding age at first child.
• Birth spacing.
• Deciding no of children.
• Improvement of availability of health services to
women.

32. THANK YOUDr. Ashok Yadav