Here in the United States 1 out of every 10 babies is born premature, and that number is on the rise. A premature baby is one born at 37 weeks or earlier. A baby is considered full term when it is born after 37 weeks (even though a full pregnancy is actually 40 weeks long). Babies born before 37 weeks often need special care compared with those babies born after 37 weeks, and often have to stay in the hospital longer.

Babies born at or close to 37 weeks often have limited or no prematurity related problems, whereas babies born closer to 32 weeks (or earlier) often have prematurity related problems and require much more care.

So what causes a premature birth? There can be many causes of a premature birth, and sometimes the cause isn’t known at all, it just happens. A few of the more common causes of preterm birth include; placenta problems, a pregnancy of multiples, an infection in the mother, pregnancy complications, problems with the uterus or cervix, or drug and alcohol use during pregnancy.

If a baby is born premature it is often moved to a neonatal intensive care unit where it can be evaluated and then cared for based on its needs. The baby’s breathing and heart rate will be closely monitored, if it is not breathing well on its own it will likely be hooked up to a machine to help with its breathing. Premature babies often have trouble maintaining their body temperature and are put into special isolette beds that will help with body temperature control until they can do it on their own.

Each preemie is different and will require special care of varying degrees. Some babies will simply need to be monitored closely for a little while. Some babies will need to be hooked up to machines such as ventilators, feeding tubes, and IVs. Others will require surgery. Depending on how early your baby is born, what complications occur and whether or not your child has any birth defects will greatly impact on the type, degree and length of care needed.

Neonatal units are staffed with nurses and doctors that specialize in premature infant care. Be sure to ask questions and be involved in your baby’s care. Understanding what is happening, what is being done for your baby and why will help make it a lot easier to deal with. Hospitals often have psychologists that you can talk to about your feelings as well, which can be a big help too.

There are possible long term effects for preterm babies, such as physical and mental disabilities, blindness, hearing loss, brain damage and more. Talk to your baby’s neonatalogist to get the details of your child’s specific case and what to expect short term and long term.

Here are some helpful websites for more information on premature births.

• March of Dimes
• Prematurebaby.org
• Prematurity.org

(source: WebMD)