WHY AND HOW ABOUT BABIES BORN PREMATURELY ?
Most mothers don’t know in advance that their baby is going to be born
prematurely, so when it happens, it comes as a great shock. However, it’s
not unusual: some babies will always be born prematurely, that is before 37
weeks of completed pregnancy. Thanks to recent developments in technology and
medical advances though, more and more premature babies are now able to survive
and grow into healthy children.
There are several reasons why a woman might go into premature labour before
her baby is sufficiently mature to cope with life outside the womb. These include:
- Infections
- Smoking or poor diet
- A multiple pregnancy, for example twins
- Cervical incompetence
- Life-threatening conditions such as pre-eclampsia
In some cases, you may never discover the reason why your baby was born prematurely.
If you have had a previous premature birth, or if there is a possibility that
you may have a premature baby, your hospital will probably want to scan you
more frequently, perhaps every two weeks, to check the growth of your baby.
Premature Birth
Sometimes it is not possible to delay premature labor and your baby must be
delivered preterm. Any baby that is born before the 37th week is considered
preterm. The closer you are to 37 weeks at the time of delivery, the more developed
the baby will be and the less likely it will have serious problems.
Likewise, the earlier you are in your pregnancy when you deliver, the higher
the likelihood for the baby to have more serious complications. If it is possible
to delay your delivery, even for just 24 hours, your doctor may try to do so
(possibly giving you a medication called "corticosteroids") to help
the baby's lungs mature before delivery.
The prognosis for a premature baby depends on the baby's age at the time of
delivery. Statistically, the chance for a premature baby's survival is based
on the baby's age, weight, ability to breathe, and how many other complications
are present.
According to statistics on premature babies in the late 1990's, babies born
at 22 weeks or less have little chance of survival. However, babies between
23-24 weeks have an increased survival rate by 3-4% per day and 20-30% between
24-26 weeks. Survival for premature babies after 26 weeks is as high as 60-90%.
It all depends on the baby's condition at the time of delivery and how well
the baby improves with the medical care provided.
With the modern advances in medicine and technology, many preterm babies with
appropriate care may survive. While some may not have any problem in the future,
many others may experience developmental difficulties.
What To Expect After Delivery
Most preterm babies will need special medical attention after birth. If preterm
delivery was anticipated, you would be advised to deliver your baby in a hospital
that has a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). You may have to deliver your
baby at a different hospital than originally planned. If you have an unplanned
premature delivery, the baby may have to be taken to another facility that has
an NICU to receive the best quality care.
When premature babies are born, they have not completed the normal development
that is needed inside your uterus. So, they will look different than what you
expected. The baby will appear to be red and very little. You may notice that
you can see all the blood vessels through fragile-looking skin because there
has not been enough time to develop any fat underneath.
Where Will My Baby Go?
The baby will probably be put in an incubator (generally see-through plastic)
in the NICU. This environment allows the baby's temperature to be stabilized
enough to keep it warm without needing to be wrapped up in blankets. This also
decreases the risk of an infection. The humidity is controlled to help maintain
the baby's hydration and prevent water loss. A cap may be kept on the baby to
help limit heat loss.
There will likely be tubes and wires attached to the baby, and this can sometimes
be intimidating or disturbing to new parents. The wires allow the medical team
to keep a close watch on your baby's health status continuously. They will be
monitoring the baby's breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature
constantly.
There may also be other things that are monitored specific to your baby's problems.
It is possible your baby may need to be on a respirator to assist with breathing
for a short period of time. The baby may need extra oxygen as well.
What Will My Baby Eat?
Babies who are born prematurely often may not be developed enough to breastfeed
or bottle-feed. Some babies are fed intravenously through a vein initially,
depending on how premature they are. However, after just a few days, the baby
may be ready to be given food that goes through a tube in the baby's nose to
the stomach.
It is extremely helpful to give premature babies breast milk because it has
proteins and antibodies that help prevent infection and encourage growth. Some
babies still need added vitamins and proteins to supplement your breast milk.
The breast milk may be given through the tube until the baby is ready to breast
feed or bottle feed.
Possible Complications
There are some common problems or diseases that occur in babies born prematurely.
Some babies have more complications than others and this is generally related
to the age of the baby at the time of birth. Some of the complications include:
- Jaundice: yellowing of the baby's skin from build-up of bilirubin in the
blood.
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS): difficulty breathing due to immaturity
of the baby's lungs.
- Anemia: lack of red blood cells that provide the baby with enough oxygen.
- Apnea: periodic or irregular breathing pattern.
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD): the baby is not able to wean off the ventilator
and may need further medication and oxygen.
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus: a blood vessel that normally closes at birth remains
open. This can cause breathing problems and sometimes heart problems.
- Infection: from having a weak immune system and not having the antibodies
to fight off infection.
- Retinopathy of Prematurity: incomplete growth of the vessels in the retina
of the eye. This is more common in babies 24-26 weeks and uncommon in those
33-34 weeks and after.
- Low Blood Pressure: blood does not circulate appropriately. Most common
immediately after birth. Usually it can be treated with increased fluids and
medication. Occasionally, a blood transfusion may be needed.
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis: poor blood flow in the baby's intestines. This
may lead to an infection in the wall of the intestine or bowel.
- Intracranial Hemorrhage: bleeding inside the brain. Occurs more often in
babies born at 24-26 weeks.
Interacting With Your Baby In The NICU
It is not unusual for parents to feel awkward, anxious, and uncomfortable in
the NICU. It is important for you and your baby to have physical contact as
early as possible. The highly qualified medical staff will help you with all
the equipment and show you what to do.
If your baby is very premature, you might not be able to do anything more than
to stroke your baby through the openings in the incubator. As your baby grows
and becomes more developed, you will be able to help with bathing and be able
to hold, talk to, and sing to the baby. It won't be long before you start seeing
all the things that you may have seen if the baby was born at full-term.
Through all of this you may experience a variety of emotions. You will need
to take time to recover physically so that you can be strong for your baby.
You might experience anger, fear, guilt, and depression (all of which are normal
emotions to go through).
The important thing is to recognize that even though your baby needs special
medical attention, the baby also needs you and your love and affection. This
is equally important for the baby's development and adjustment outside the uterus.
(by umm.edu)
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