[Physiologic neonatal body weight loss in a "baby friendly hospital"]

It has been known for centuries that mother's milk is the most optimal nutritive and energetic substance for nutrition of newborn infants. Human milk is naturally adapted to physiological possibilities of nutrition and nutritive requirements of newborn infants. Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative of WHO experts and International Children's Fund are directed to introduction of natural diet and breast feeding as long as possible and they have been accepted in our environment as well. Health workers of these Departments and Hospitals help in education of women giving birth for successful breast-feeding. Successful establishment of lactation should affect physiological body-weight loss reduction in newborn infants. The aim of this paper was to prove that babies' presence induces earlier lactation, and that is how physiological body-weight loss is reduced.

This study included 100 newborn infants of the Baby Friendly Hospital and 100 newborn infants born at the Maternity Ward of the Hospital in Senta in 1997 who were situated in a special ward for newborns. The paper deals with vaginally delivered babies without signs of disease. The study registered as follows: sex of newborn infants, the lowest body-weight during their stay at the Department, date when the body-weight was measured, taking into consideration the parity of their mothers.

Statistical data processing revealed that in the group of newborn infants included in the Baby Friendly Program physiological body-weight loss was less (5.32% of the body-weight at birth) than in newborn infants classically managed (5.77% of body-weight at birth). The physiological body-weight loss in the group of the Baby Friendly Program was significantly smaller when expressed in grams.

According to pediatric literature a 10% physiological loss of body weight in regard to body weight at birth is considered to be normal. Investigations performed at the Maternity Wards in Zrenjanin and Novi Sad (geographically the nearest to our town) have shown results similar to ours.

Results of our investigation support the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative of the WHO and International Children Fund and their recommendations for initiating breast-feeding of newborn infants as early as possible. We also consider efforts for providing conditions necessary for Baby Friendly Hospital justified because of mother-child close relationship and possibilities for breast-feeding without strict regimens.