Here is what you must know about a premature baby

Introduction 

A preterm baby is born before the 37-week gestation period. Complication increase if a child is born long before the due date. Premature newborns might have undeveloped organs and might not function properly. Gestational age is the age of the fetus. It is the number of weeks before the last day of delivery and the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. The time varies according to the information a doctor receives, including ultrasound scans, helping them gauge the gestational age. A baby is generally due after 40 gestational weeks. Preterm newborns are born before 37 gestational weeks and can be classified as: 

1. Babies delivered before 28 gestational weeks are extremely preterm.
2. Babies delivered between 28 to 32 gestational weeks are very preterm. 
3. Babies delivered between 32 to 34 gestational weeks are moderately preterm. 
4. Babies delivered between 34 to 37 gestational weeks are late preterm. 

The more the prematurity, the more the risks of severe or life-threatening complications. Extreme prematurity is a major cause of newborn death. Premature babies are also at risk of problems such as learning disorders, cerebral palsy, and delayed development. However, many babies born prematurely do not develop any difficulties in the long term. 

Causes 

In most cases, the reasons behind preterm birth are unknown. However, older women, adolescents, less educated women, and poor women are generally more at risk. 

Risk Factors 

• Multiple pregnancies
• Preterm birth before
• Miscarriages or abortions
• Vitro-fertilization 
• No prenatal care
• Smoking
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Cervical insufficiency 
• Prelabour membrane rupture
• Early placenta separation

Prenatal care might decrease preterm birth chances. 

Symptoms 

Preterm babies usually weigh less than 2.5 kg and can weigh as low as 1/2 kg. Symptoms include organ immaturity in most cases. Extremely preterm babies are generally required to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) longer until they have normal functioning organs. Late preterm newborns might only have a few organs in need of development and might need to stay in the hospital till their blood sugar is normal, and they have optimum body temperature. A preterm newborn's immune system is also underdeveloped, making them prone to illness more often. 

Complications

• Brain is underdeveloped
• The digestive tract and liver are underdeveloped
• The immune system is underdeveloped
• Difficulty regulating blood sugar levels
• Difficulty regulating body temperature
• Lungs is underdeveloped
• Eyes is underdeveloped
• Heart problems
• Kidneys are underdeveloped

Treatment

Very preterm babies might need hospitalization in the NICU for some time. They might also require a breathing tube or ventilator until they can breathe properly. Doctors provide them nutrition through their veins until they are ready for a feeding tube and eventually eat by mouth. The best food for a preterm newborn is the mother's breast milk. It decreases infections and risks of intestinal complications. Breast milk lacks calcium, and the food might require a fortifying solution. Formulas prepared for preterm newborns have higher calories. Premature newborns might need incubation until they can maintain suitable body temperatures.

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