Premature Baby Care
Premature (Preterm) Infant
Overview
What is premature (preterm) birth?
Pregnancy normally lasts about 40 weeks. When delivery occurs between 20 and 37 weeks of pregnancy, it's called a preterm birth. A baby born early is called preterm (or premature). Preterm babies are sometimes called "preemies."
Why is preterm birth a problem?
When babies are born too early, their major organs aren't fully formed. As a result, preterm infants may not be able to eat, breathe, or stay warm on their own. They may also have jaundice, infection, or anemia.
What causes preterm birth?
Preterm birth can be caused by a problem with the fetus, the mother, or both. The most common causes include problems with the placenta, uterus, or cervix; pregnancy with twins or more; infection; or drug or alcohol use during pregnancy. Often the cause is never known.
What kind of treatments might a preterm infant need?
Some preterm babies may need care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where they can be watched closely for infections and changes in breathing and heart rate and be kept warm. They may be fed through a vein or a tube in their nose. Sick and very premature infants may need other treatments.
Does preterm birth cause long-term problems?
Most preterm babies don't develop serious long-term problems. But the earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk of later problems such as cerebral palsy or intellectual disability.
Most babies who are born between 32 and 37 weeks of pregnancy do well after birth. If a baby does well after birth, the risk of long-term problems is low.
Babies who are born before 26 weeks or who are very small— 1000 g (2.2 lb) or less—are the most likely to have long-term disability.
Work with your doctor to closely watch your baby's development and to try to catch any problems early on.
What can you expect when you take your baby home?
Your baby may be asleep or awake for shorter periods of time than you expect.
Preterm babies sleep more than full-term infants do but for shorter periods of time.
They are seldom awake for more than brief periods until about 2 months after their due date, so it may seem like a long time before your infant responds to your presence.
Your baby may be easily disturbed by too much light, sound, touch, or movement. If so, create a more calming environment, swaddle your infant in a blanket, and hold him or her as much as possible.
Your baby probably will come home with a feeding schedule. To avoid dehydration, never go longer than 4 hours between feedings. Small feedings may help reduce spitting up.
Your baby's doctor may recommend adding iron, vitamins, or supplemental formula to a breastfed diet. Preterm babies lack the iron stores that full-term infants have at birth.