NCP Ineffective Infant Feeding Pattern
- 1. NURSING CARE PLAN Situation: A month after being discharged from the hospital, a married couple is having difficulties in breastfeeding their 2-month old daughter who was born 7 weeks (2 months) before her due date. Although very eager to care for their firstborn child, the two are inexperienced when it comes to handling infants, even more on babies of premature birth. As a result, the infant’s weight and growth gradually decreases, due to inconsistent nutritional/oral intake. ASSESSMENT NURSING DIAGNOSIS ANALYSIS PLANNING INTERVENTION RATIONALE EVALUATION *Subjective: “I tried breastfeeding her every 3-4 hours, but the baby seems to be having difficulties” -verbalized by the infant’s mother *Objective: Premature birth of 33 weeks (7 months) Inability of the infant to suck effectively (poor suckling reflex) Inability to coordinate suckling, swallowing and breathing Regurgitation after feeding Gradual presence of infant’s weight loss Sunken fontanels and eyeballs Poor skin turgor Ineffective infant feeding pattern related to preterm/ premature birth AND parents’ lack of knowledge regarding the infant’s feeding pattern The nursing diagnosis of ineffective feeding pattern related to preterm/ premature birth is a priority problem because insufficient nutrient/fluid intake puts the infant at risk of micronutrient deficiency and dehydration, which could hinder with the baby’s growth and development. After 12 hours of nursing intervention, the baby will improve in her intake AND no signs and symptoms of dehydration will be noted. Additionally, the parents will be more knowledgeable on the infant’s feeding pattern and follow an appropriate feeding pattern suitable for the infant. Monitor baby’s vital signs Provide a calm, quiet, non-stimulating environment while feeding Assess which alternative method of feeding is most effective (eg. bottle, syringe, etc.) Teach parents the correct positioning during feeding and ensure that the baby is fully awake Record and monitor the baby’s progress with her feedings Explain to the parents the importance of proper nutrition among infants by following the prescribed feeding pattern Serves as baseline information; Any changes will help indicate the baby’s conditions To obscure any distractions that may interfere with the feeding To find an easier and more efficient feeding pattern suitable for the infant To promote correct feeding procedure and prevent aspiration and regurgitation To keep track of her spit-ups and how much the baby has consumed To increase the parents’ understanding on the nutritional needs of their infant and promote strict compliance to the correct feeding patterns After 12 hours of nursing intervention, goal partially met the baby’s improvement in her intake as she is able to suckle sufficiently and correctly; There are no signs and symptoms of dehydration. Furthermore, there was an increase in the parents’ knowledge on the normal feeding pattern of infants and makes sure to follow the correct feeding pattern, by all means.