Analysis of Body Weight in Low Birth Weight Infant Based on Breastfeeding and Formula Milk for Two Weeks Nursing in Santa Elisabeth Hospital Medan

Abstract

Low Birth Weight (LBW) is infant born with less than 2500 grams without looking at pregnancy gestation. Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for the infants. However, for some reasons mothers opt to add or replace breastmilk. As an alternative for breastfeeding, there is formula milk with different specifications adapted to the infants' needs or condition. This research aims to analysis the difference in body weight of LBW infants fed by breastfeeding or formula milk in the first two weeks of care at Santa Elizabeth Hospital Medan. This research is using cross-sectional design. Samples are 56 LBW infants without infectious disease and nursing for two weeks in Santa Elizabeth Hospital Medan. This research is conducted using secondary data of medical record documentation in the perinatology room. Data analysis was performed using Independent Samples T-Test. The results shows that there is significant difference between the increase in weight of breast-fed babies who were given with the increase in weight babies fed milk formula with p value 0,00.

Researchers suggest that in order to further improve the service to the handling of the problem of low birth weight, especially in the provision of nutrition for infants of low birth weight hospital institutions, nurses who worked in chambers of perinatology should be support and motivate mothers to breastfeed their infants and consider the condition of an infant during the maintenance.