Premature baby. Special Care

Premature baby. Special Care.

What additional care do premature babies require?

Because preterm babies have a shorter period of development in the womb, they often need nutrition, warmth, and protection that comes from outside. Babies may not fully develop the ability to breastfeed and must be fed through a tube or intravenously. They also have lower blood glucose levels due to poor liver function. Premature babies have a thinner subcutaneous fat layer, and they get colder. Their immune system is weak, but in the incubator they are protected from infection and receive the necessary warmth. Sometimes they require artificial respiration because their lungs do not have enough surfactants to help them get air into their lungs. In these cases, forced ventilation is performed.

Does the newborn experience pain in intensive care settings?

Newborns should not be given painkillers, so we must be honest that some procedures can be painful, such as a blood test taken from the baby's heel. But babies experience it only for a short time. If the baby writhes and squirms, then this may be a manifestation of natural reflexes that have nothing to do with pain. If you are concerned, ask your nurse or doctor if your baby is suffering and how you can relieve his pain.

Will a premature baby always remain weak?

Usually not. The doctor will explain to you whether your child is at risk of a new infection and what to do if he becomes ill. If you are in doubt, consult a doctor yourself.

Will a premature baby be developmentally delayed?

There cannot be a delay in development at all, but premature birth means that development has begun from a different point. If you gave birth to a child two months before the due date, then at six months he will be the same as ordinary four-month-old children. Over time, all differences are erased.