Baby Scales For Dummies

By Joann Parker

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

When baby arrives early or has medical problems, health care providers turn to a Baby Weigh Scale for measuring breast milk intake. The baby is weighed before and after breastfeeding, and with a touch of a button, the Baby Weight Scale calculates the baby's intake. For small babies, the Baby Weight Scale can measure the difference of one-half teaspoon of breast milk.

If you notice that your baby is not gaining weight, you should take this seriously. Make sure that your baby is being weighed correctly. Your baby should always be weighed on the same scale because there are slight differences between any two scales. You can use a regular scale to check how much a baby weighs and then if you notice no weight gain, use a more sensitive baby scale.

You likewise should weigh your infant once a week, because of the day-to-day weight variation attributable to eatings, urination, bowel movements, and so on. Whenever the weight remains accurate and you know that your infant is either putting on zero weight or slimming down, infant should be seen and assessed by a physician at once.

If baby's weight increases but does not seem enough, see if your infant is feeding appropriately. Are you offering up food 5 or 6 times a day? Are you feeding breast milk or infant formula to the baby? If you are using breast milk, does your baby look full after a feeding is completed? If you are using formula, are you mixing it properly?

At 6 months old, infants need supplementary calories from solid foods. Are you offering solid foods several times a day? Is your baby keeping all the food down? If everything appears normal, you still might want to get your baby examined, just to be sure that baby's weight is okay. All doctors will use special baby scales to monitor the baby's weight.

A baby that does not weigh enough can mean many things. Once such health problem is called a congenital heart defect. This condition occurs as a result of the heart or blood vessels near the heart not developing as they should.

Healthy babies usually double their birth weight between four and five months of age. A baby with a congenital heart defect may grow more slowly during infancy and childhood, although the growth often varies 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 any other condition. The baby is usually weighed every month, and the measurements will show how well your baby is growing. - 30224

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here