Infant Weight Question

Jolie, BSN · Jan 12, 2005

I just started working at a Pediatric clinic and I need some help with figuring out an infants weight gain/loss per day. I've had a few nurses try to explain it to me but I am a sucker at math and I need a formula in order for it to make sense.
OK, say an infant is 3.363kg at birth, discharge weight is 2.777, and two days later at the clinic it is 3.045kg. How do you figure the weight gain/loss per day in grams?
I was taught to take the decimal out (to make it grams) and subtract 3363 from 3045 which equals 318, then you divide by how many days from birth date, so by 2 days. The answer I am getting is 159 grams. I think that sounds way too high! What am I doing wrong? I feel so embarrassed to keep asking to explain it over again. Please help this math idiot!!!!
Thank you!!!!
Tiffany

Birth weight = 3363g. Discharge weight = 2777g. Weight loss at discharge = 3363-2777 = 586g (1-1/4 lbs) Since most babies are discharged on the second day of life, I'll assume that this baby lost 586g over 2 days. That is on the high side. Most babies will lose about 10% of their birth weight in the first 4-5 days of life, then begin gaining it back. Typically they will regain their birth weight within the first 1-1/2 to 2 weeks of life. This baby lost over 17% of his birth weight in the first 2 days of life, if the discharge weight is accurate. I would want to know that the baby is feeding appropriately and not becoming dehydrated.

Discharge weight = 2777g. Weight at clinic 2 days later = 3045g. Weight gain in 2 days = 268g. That's over half a pound in 2 days. I doubt that it's accurate. The baby was weighed on 2 different scales, so there is bound to be some discrepency in weight. What is important to note is the trend that the baby is gaining weight.