Image source: Baby hand photo created by onlyyouqj – www.freepik.com
A premature baby is any baby that is born more than 3 weeks before the estimated due date. This means that any birth that takes place before week 37 of pregnancy is considered a premature birth.
Because premature babies are still not fully developed, they often have a number of medical issues. The earlier the baby is born, the higher the risk of complications.
Here are some of the signs of prematurity that you may notice:
- The baby may be smaller in size with a larger head
- They may be sharper-looking, which means their features will be less rounded. This is due to the absence of fat stored under the skin
- They will have fine hair called lanugo covering their bodies. In the absence of fat deposits, lanugo serves to prevent their developing bodies from losing too much heat
- They will have low body temperature. This will be apparent immediately after giving birth in the delivery room due to the lack of stored body fat
- Respiratory distress and labored breathing. This happens because of their underdeveloped respiratory systems
- Difficulties in feeding due to the lack of sucking and swallowing reflexes. These reflexes do not develop in babies until week 38
Depending on when your baby is born, they may be classified as:
- Extremely preterm: this includes all babies born before week 25 of pregnancy. Babies born at this stage are called micro-preemies and have a slightly over 50% survival rate.
- Very preterm: this includes all babies born between weeks 25 to 32 of pregnancy. Very premature babies have a 95% survival rate.
- Moderately preterm: this includes babies that are born between weeks 32 and 34 of pregnancy
- Late preterm: this includes babies born between weeks 34 and 36 of pregnancy. Most premature births occur at this stage.
In the weeks immediately after premature birth, here are some of the complications that a premature baby may experience. Keep in mind that the earlier the baby is born, the higher the risk of these issues:
- Breathing complications: these occur as a result of their underdeveloped respiratory system. Common issues include respiratory distress syndrome (inability of the lungs to expand and contract normally), apnea (frequent pauses in breathing), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
- Heart problems such as patent ductus arteriosus and low blood pressure.
- Brain problems occur when there is bleeding in the brain. Most hemorrhages are mild, but larger hemorrhages can lead to permanent brain injury
- Temperature control problems due to their inability to control their body temperature, which can lead to hypothermia
- Gastrointestinal problems because of their underdeveloped gastrointestinal systems
- Blood problems such as anemia (not enough red blood cells) and newborn jaundice (caused by excess bilirubin in the blood due to an underdeveloped liver)
- Metabolism problems such as hypoglycemia (abnormally low blood sugar)
- Immune system issues that lead to higher risks of infection
All premature babies will require some form of specialized care. Depending on when they were born and how much care they need, they may either be admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the intermediate care nursery.
