Mixing infant formula half strength..

[Kristen<3]

Can someone help me out with what fluid imbalance this predisposes the infant to develop?

[DookieMeisterRN]

What are your ideas?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Look at what makes up the formula (ie minerals, calories, etc).

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Think about it. Making the major food source half strength....what problem would the cause with calories and fluid and electrolytes. What would that do to the nutrition of the infant. Why would you make the only food source half strength? Are you mixing it with water? What would excess water cause in an infant.....or anyone for that matter. The answer is with thin the answer to these questions.

Google is your friend......

fluid imbalances cause by mixing formula half strength - Google Search

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

The google search talks about when you would half formula, not the consequences. You need to look at what the formula is providing, you can search the formula websites to see the composition and come to a conclusion that way :)

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

right.......several of the sites listed go into consequences. That with the info I supplied they will be able to draw the right conclusion

Changing formula or diluting to half strength are common practices but are usually unnecessary and may even prolong symptoms and delay nutritional recovery

Withholding foods to rest the gut is not recommended. Breastfeeding should be continued at all times through both stages of treatment. Full-strength formula is usually tolerated. Changing formula or diluting to half strength are common practices but are usually unnecessary and may even prolong symptoms and delay nutritional recovery.

Gaining and Growing Homepage

decreasing the concentration, decreasing calories, decreasing necessary nutrients, increasing water....possible water intoxication, if mixed with electrolyte replacement possible elevation of certain electrolytes were a few mentioned.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

as my engineering relatives would say, "intuitively obvious to the casual observer."

now go find those refs that everyone has so helpfully supplied, and your homework is done.

[sharpeimom]

here's a story from my student nursing peds rotation days that might shed some light.

baby boy was born to 16 year old mom. birth weight was around 7 pounds. (it's been too long.) he had a normal delivery and drew breath

right away. breastfeeding was presented as an option to mom but was rejected as being "too absolutely gross." she formula fed him in the hospital but so grudgingly that finally the nurses kept him at night and did it.

they were discharged after 3 days. about ten days later, he was readmitted through the er because his electrolytes were "off kilter."

when he was started on a different formula, he improved immediately. he was dx after more teaching about newborns to the mom.

when he was about a month old he was back in because he had lost a pound and a half and fussed all the time. new formula and dx.

this went on until he was almost 4 months old when he was beginning to lag behind developmentally. with the hx of admissions, when he was taken back to the er yet again, the social worker notified dfs and he was readmitted with no visitors allowed, including mom or grandma.

after many many tests and much questioning of the child's mom and grandma, an interesting fact just slipped out...

grandma had been mixing the liquid concentrate formula the hospital sent home after each admission as directed on the can. mom was then using the powdered version supplied by wic but had been stretching it out by only adding half the required amount of powder. her rationale? he can't read so he won't know.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We had one that decided that if she didn't dilute the concentrate she could only feed him 3x per day, she figured he was was getting all the calories he needed. WTH.

[sharpeimom]

We had one that decided that if she didn't dilute the concentrate she could only feed him 3x per day, she figured he was was getting all the calories he needed. WTH.

:eek::eek: