Stomach Capacity of Newborns

Researchers have found that on Day 1, the newborns small stomach does not stretch to hold more, as it will even a day or two later. This explains the experience of countless hospital nurses who have learned the hard way that when newborns are fed an ounce or two by bottle during the first day of life, most of it tends to come right back up. The walls of the newborn stomach stay firm, expelling extra milk rather than stretching to hold it. DAY OF LIFE Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 INFANT AGE Birth-24 hours 24-48 hours 48-72 hours 72-96 hours 96-120 hours STOMACH CAPACITY/feeding 5-7 cc (approx. 1 teaspoon) 10-13 cc (approx. 2 teaspoons) 22-27 cc (almost 1 ounce) 36-46 cc (almost 1.5 ounces) 43-57 cc (almost 2 ounces)

References: 1. Silverman, W.A.: Dunhams Premature infants 3rd Edition. Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., Medical Division of Harper and Brothers. New York. 1961. Pp. 143-144 2. Scammon, R.E. and Doyle, L.O.: Observations on the capacity of the stomach in the first ten days of postnatal life. Am. J. Dis. Child. 20:516-538, 1920 3. Adapted from Linda J. Smiths, Coachs Notebook: Games and Strategies for Lactation Education. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2002

Reference Breastfeeding Management For the Clinician: Using the Evidence by Marsha Walker, p.121 Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2011

Sizing up an Infant Stomach

By Rebecca Heidkamp Rebecca Heidkamp is PhD candidate in Nutrition at Cornell University. She is currently working in Port-auPrince, Haiti where she focuses on improving infant feeding practices among children ages 6-12 months old who are born to HIV-infected mothers. October 7, 2008 How much milk can a newborn baby's stomach hold? Not much. The small size of the newborn's stomach limits the amount he can take in at a single feeding. To teach mothers about why infants need to breastfeed so frequently, community educators at the Haitian Health Foundation conduct a helpful demonstration1 using a shooter marble, a ping-pong ball, and an egg. Day 1: Shooter Marble On Day one, a newborn's stomach is about the same size as a large marble. It can hold about 1/6 to 1/4 ounce (5 to 7 ml) in one feed. During the first 2 days, the walls of the stomach will not expand to hold more. Frequent feedings (10-12 times) are normal behavior. An adequate amount of colostrum is ready for the child in the mother's breast. Day 3: Ping-pong ball By day 3, the stomach expands to the size of a ping-pong ball. It holds 3/4-9/10 ounce (22-27 ml). Frequent feedings (8-12 times per day) should continue. More frequent feedings will help to more rapidly increase a breastfeeding mother's milk supply. Day 10: Extra large egg By day 10, a baby's stomach is more like an extra large egg. It can hold 2-3 ounces (60-81 ml). The larger stomach capacity helps fuel the baby's first major growth spurt at 10-14 days. Age 21+: Grapefruit or softball By adulthood, your stomach expands to hold about 2 cups (900 ml). Even with the increased capacity, we adults can still apply the principle of smaller more frequent meals that got us through infancy!
1 Adapted from Belly Balls - How much can my new baby eat? Illinois Department of Human Services, 2007. and Coaches Notebook: Games and Strategies for Lactation Education Linda J. Smith. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2002.