Can a healthy newborn go 24 hours without a feeding?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Does anyone have any articles or evidence that support a healthy infant not having to eat for 24 hours if medically stable? One of our LCs said healthy infants can go a day without food if medically stable. If this is the case then I'll definitely change my practice. Normally of an infant doesn't eat within 6 hours , whether medically stable or not the providers usually suggest formula. Of course we always attempt to breast feed first and have Mom pump or manually express as well.

Where I work we let the breastfeeding babies mess around and not seriously nurse for about 24 hrs before we would intervene and insist on formula supplementation (moms always get the option to pump and try to provide colostrum if they can get enough). I tell my patients that they need to attempt to feed the baby every couple of hours, and if they don't latch or are too sleepy or uncooperative that the skin to skin time with the baby will at least help the milk to come in. This is of course barring any low sugar issues or other problems like high bilis. I bet half my babies are little non latching stinkers the first 24 hrs. Lactation won't even see any pts until after 24 hrs have passed (which I don't agree with). I can't imagine a hospital where they are making moms give formula within 6 hrs without a good feeding. That is so early! We use the babies' wet and dirty diapers and their weights to determine if they require supplementation.

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Specializes in NICU Level 3.

We always encourage mom to attempt to get baby to latch at every feeding. If after 5 - 10 mins and baby is just not latching/too sleepy then we encourage hand expression and finger feeding any colostrum to the baby. Skin to skin prior to feeding is strongly encouraged too.

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We always encourage mom to attempt to get baby to latch at every feeding. If after 5 - 10 mins and baby is just not latching/too sleepy then we encourage hand expression and finger feeding any colostrum to the baby. Skin to skin prior to feeding is strongly encouraged too.

This is what my hospital does.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

My hospital is "Baby Friendly" that means we don't offer supplementation unless mom brings it up and we've educated. We do encourage skin-to-skin, hand expression, and pumping and if mom is still having difficulties, we make sure we bring in lactation. If baby has no void or stool, close to losing 10% birth weight, or blood glucose levels become unstable, we then discuss supplementation.

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