Definition – A normal baby being born after a pregnancy of 40 weeks. If the mother gives birth to a baby before 37 weeks of pregnancy, the baby is considered as a premature one. A baby born at 28 weeks of pregnancy can weigh as little as 1 kg.
The gestation age or the period of which the baby spends in the mother’s womb is the chief factor for measuring prematurity of a baby. Ultrasound scan can help to confirm the gestational age of the baby. Another way of measuring the prematurity is the birth weight. A normal baby is born 2.5 Kg or more. The premature one is less than 2.5 Kg, that is also known as Low Birth Weight (LBW). The more premature a baby, the smaller he or she is. Sometimes, babies born after the gestation period of 40 weeks may also have less than 2.5 kg. Therefore, the more accurate measurement of prematurity of baby is gestational period.
Common Problems of Premature Babies
Abnormal earlier birth can cause many problems in a baby.
1) Lungs – A common syndrome of a premature baby is a respiratory distress. It actually means baby’s lungs are immature due to insufficient surfactant in the lungs. The baby is thus born with little breathing problem, in some critical cases oxygen therapy need to be used. Sometimes, a ventilator may be needed to help the baby to breathe and to maintain oxygen levels in the blood.
2) Heart – Patent ductus arterisus (PDA) is one of the common heart problems of premature babies. It is actually disrupt the communication between the pulmonary artery and aorta. Sometimes it may require clinical treatment.
3) Brain – Sometimes babies born less than 1 kg are prone to internal brain haemorrhage. This causes a serious issue and critical matter if not treat at the proper time.
4) Feeding Problem – Often premature babies find difficult to suck. They are not strong enough to suck mother’s milk so there is a feeding problem occurs and need to be fed through a tube, in fact breast milk can also be fed through this process.
5) Vision and Hearing – Strabismus (cross eyes) are more common problem in premature babies than a normal one. Some babies grow with a eye disease called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a scarring of the retina due to exposure of the baby to excessive amounts of oxygen. A premature baby are also more likely to develop hearing problems.
The gestation age or the period of which the baby spends in the mother’s womb is the chief factor for measuring prematurity of a baby. Ultrasound scan can help to confirm the gestational age of the baby. Another way of measuring the prematurity is the birth weight. A normal baby is born 2.5 Kg or more. The premature one is less than 2.5 Kg, that is also known as Low Birth Weight (LBW). The more premature a baby, the smaller he or she is. Sometimes, babies born after the gestation period of 40 weeks may also have less than 2.5 kg. Therefore, the more accurate measurement of prematurity of baby is gestational period.
Common Problems of Premature Babies
Abnormal earlier birth can cause many problems in a baby.
1) Lungs – A common syndrome of a premature baby is a respiratory distress. It actually means baby’s lungs are immature due to insufficient surfactant in the lungs. The baby is thus born with little breathing problem, in some critical cases oxygen therapy need to be used. Sometimes, a ventilator may be needed to help the baby to breathe and to maintain oxygen levels in the blood.
2) Heart – Patent ductus arterisus (PDA) is one of the common heart problems of premature babies. It is actually disrupt the communication between the pulmonary artery and aorta. Sometimes it may require clinical treatment.
3) Brain – Sometimes babies born less than 1 kg are prone to internal brain haemorrhage. This causes a serious issue and critical matter if not treat at the proper time.
4) Feeding Problem – Often premature babies find difficult to suck. They are not strong enough to suck mother’s milk so there is a feeding problem occurs and need to be fed through a tube, in fact breast milk can also be fed through this process.
5) Vision and Hearing – Strabismus (cross eyes) are more common problem in premature babies than a normal one. Some babies grow with a eye disease called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a scarring of the retina due to exposure of the baby to excessive amounts of oxygen. A premature baby are also more likely to develop hearing problems.
0 comments: