Premature Babies.. What To Expect?

Premature babies are often born prior the 37 weeks gestation. Some of them have died as result of respiration related complications.

When a child is born, the lungs are the last organs to mature and the simple reason why respiratory diseases are the most frequent complications for most premature babies since the lungs are not fully developed. However, lung maturity can be improved by giving the mother steroid injections prior delivery.

In Australia, it is estimated about 8% of babies are born prematurely every year. Most of them are born between 32 to 36 weeks and almost all of them live to grow void of any complications in future. However, some of them die as a result of having premature organs that are not capable of supporting them in the outside world.

According to research, there is no specific cause to premature births but there are a few risk factors. Statistically, chances for a premature baby to survive after being born will depend on weight, age of the baby, his or her ability to breath and the factors present at the time of delivery. At this instance, most of you are probably asking yourself what happens when your baby is born premature. The following are a brief description of what to expect once your baby is born prematurely.

After Delivery, What You Should Expect

With the current advances in medicine and technology, most pre-term babies with the right care may survive. However, in the event of these circumstances, they may need a special medical attention after birth. For instance, if the premature baby was expected, you may be advised to deliver your baby in hospital that has neonatal intensive care unit also called (NICU). If the premature baby was not expected, then you may have to transfer the baby to another facility that has an NICU for the child to receive the best quality care. When the baby is born prematurely, they have not completed the normal growth that is expected when they are inside the uterus hence you will notice that they look different. For instance, they will be small, red and in most cases, blood vessels will still be visible under their skins since there has not been enough time for a layer of fat to form under their skin.

Where The Baby Will Be Taken

Once the baby is born, he or she will be taken into an incubator which is an enclosed see me through plastic cot. This environment allows the temperature of the baby to be stabilized enough to keep him warm. Hence during this time, the baby will not require to be covered with anything. The environment also decreases the chances of infection and the humidity is also controlled to maintain the baby’s hydration and reduces the chances of losing too much water. Tubes will also be connected to the baby. I know sometimes this annoys most parents but the tubes are usually used by the medical team to monitor the baby’s blood pressure, temperature, heartbeat, breathing rate and temperature. It is also a possibility that at this time, your baby might need assistance in breathing hence there are chances he will be connected to a respirator to assist in breathing in short periods of time and to supply an extra oxygen as well.

How the Baby Will Be Fed

When it comes to feeding, babies that are born prematurely cannot be breastfed. Instead, some of them are often fed intravenously through a vein depending on how mature they are. However, those babies that are a few days old may be fed through a tube in their noses which runs to the stomach. It still remains paramount for the baby to get breast milk given the fact it contains proteins and antibodies which help to protect them from infection and hearten growth. There are some who still need proteins and vitamins to supplement the breast milk. This breast milk may be given through the tube until when the baby is ready to breastfeed or feed through a bottle.

Mother Baby Interactions

Once the baby is taken to the NICU, it is very important for the mother to be in physical contact with the baby as early as possible. You will be assisted by a highly qualified staff on how you will go about this including handling the equipments. However, if the baby is very premature, you may not be able to nurse them. In this case, you will only be able to gently stroke them from the openings on the sides of the incubator. As the baby continues to grow, you will be able to help them in bathing, holding them, sing and even talk to them. You can also cuddle your baby directly against your skin a technique often called “kangaroo care.” This is a special way to bond with your baby. Soon you will realize the baby is growing to become like a fully matured born child.

Possible Complications

There are a number of common problems that often occur in babies who have been born prematurely. These complications differ from one baby to the other depending on their age at the time of birth. Some of these complications include:

• Anaemia – shortage of red blood cells that supply the child with enough oxygen;
• Jaundice – this is the yellowing of the baby’s skin as a result of build up of bilirubin in the blood;
• Low blood pressure – this mostly happens after birth. The blood does not circulate properly and it can be treated via increased fluids and medications;
• Feeding difficulties – premature babies cannot suck hence they are often fed through a tube;
• Lung diseases – since they have immature lungs, they are often supplied extra oxygen through a ventilator or in an incubator;
• Apnoea – during their birth, the respiratory center in the brain of the child is still immature hence breathing cannot be controlled well. Apnoea is when the baby’s breathing suddenly stops for a short period of time;
• Bradycardia – this is the slowing down of the heart rate often caused by apnoea;
• Temperature control difficulties – during the birth, the temperature control centre in their brains are often immature, hence they are cared for under special overhead heaters found in the incubators.

During this time, you may experience a number of emotions which range from anger, guilt, fear, depression among many others. This often happens even to mothers who deliver fully mature babies. Sometimes you can talk to a health care provider or any social worker if you feel overwhelmed. It is important you realize that apart from the baby needing special medical attention, they also need your love and affection. This is paramount for their normal adjustment and development outside the uterus.