Premature Babies: What You Need to Know?

Answer 1

A baby is considered premature when he is born more than three weeks prior to her due date, or before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Because premature babies have had less time to develop within the womb, they require special care immediately following birth in order to thrive and live healthily.

Appearance and Behavior

Because a fetus gains a considerable amount of weight during the last few weeks of pregnancy, a premature baby is usually smaller than a full-term infant. His skin may be slightly translucent and red instead of pink. It will likely be wrinkled and covered in a thin coat of fine hair. This is called lanugo and is meant to keep his immature body warm. The baby's muscle tone will likely be underdeveloped as well, making his movements slow and clumsy. His head may appear to be disproportionately large as compared to the rest of his body. As the baby reaches full-term, these characteristics will gradually disappear.

Premature babies are often especially sensitive to bright lights and loud noises, so it is helpful to keep his room quiet and dimly lit. Excessive fussiness can often be alleviated by removing excess stimulation. Swaddling is especially helpful in that the gentle constriction of limbs can remind the baby of the security of the womb.

Potential Complications

When a baby is born prematurely, he will be carefully examined by a licensed pediatrician and transporteed immediately to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. Many premature babies experience problems with a low heart rate, irregular breathing problems, jaundice, infection and an unstable body temperature. Special care is taken to ensure that his vital signs remain within the normal range for a child of his gestational age until he has matured enough to function healthily on his own. Depending on how early the baby is born, he may need to be evaluated within the coming months for physical and mental developmental issues.

Regardless of a baby's condition when he is born prematurely, it is immensely important that he be able to bond closely with his mother and father. Skin to skin contact is recommended multiple times per day, as this type of therapy has been shown to increase the probability of normal recovery.