The development of an accurate test weighing technique for preterm and high-risk hospitalized infants.

Background: Test weighing, or weighing the infant before and after breastfeeding to assess milk intake, in which weight gain in grams is converted equally to volume of intake in milliliters, is a controversial topic in the literature. This study was initiated to identify variables that impact test weights and to develop an accurate test weighing technique for preterm and high-risk hospitalized infants.

Methods: Test weights were performed on a sample of hospitalized high-risk infants with and without leads who were bottle- or nasogastric-fed.