Care of Premature Infants

Infants are classified into three categories after birth, as either post term infants, full term infants or premature infants. Post term babies are usually born after the maximal 42 weeks of gestation, exceeding the normal pregnancy duration. Full term babies are ideally born between the 37^th and 42^nd week of gestation. Premature infants are usually delivered naturally or by caesarian operation, before the termination of the natural 37 weeks of gestation.

A woman can go into labor even before the normal 37 weeks of gestation are over, referred to as preterm labor, due to many health complications with the mother or with the pregnancy. Multiple pregnancies of twins, triplets or more are among the most common causes of preterm labor. Other causes include the mother’s conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, kidney diseases, poor prenatal care, poor nutrition, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, substance abuse, young age usually less than 18 years, premature ruptures of the placenta previa or uterus membranes, infections in the uterus and or cervix and many other causes. The basic point is this; when any one of these reasons triggers a premature birth, the infant is compounded by problems from the word go.

For one, the baby has undeveloped organs and systems that cannot support and sustain life independent of medical support. Added to this is the possible infection from the mother, especially if the pregnancy was pushed to preterm labor due to infections and diseases. The first thing that the pediatricians and midwives responsible in the hospital where the infant is born do is to ensure that the baby does not contact any infection from the mother during the birth process. Further, they will provide the infant with life support machines and medication, to augment the immature body organs. The baby will then be monitored closely during the premature infant care, to note developments, whether the body will pick up and start maturing.

Having been severed from the mother’s connection, the baby will also have to be fed. It must be noted here that most premature infants are born with a grossly low birth weight. So, premature infant care must also provide adequate and easily processed nutrition to the infant so as to facilitate speedy growth. The mother’s colostrum is best, managed in volume and frequency of intake. To face this dilemma of needed nutrition and an immature digestive system, the mother’s colostrum works best since that yellowish fluid is already predigested and ready for absorption, while also being rich in antibodies and minerals to nourish the body, amplify growth and form a solid immunity to infections, during the care for premature infants.

Premature infants can also be unable to coordinate their sucking and swallowing of food, especially if born prior to the 34^th week of gestation. In these instances, the infant should be given a feeding tube looped into the stomach. In severe cases of immaturity like when the stomach is underdeveloped, premature infant care may go as far as injecting nutrition via a vein.

Most premature infants have problems in breathing, whereby the breathing may be totally absent, or the lungs may be dysfunctional in such a condition as the neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. In some specific cases of premature infant care, experts may decide to use steroids and growth hormones to induce and amplify the maturity of the infant’s lungs. If the premature infant has serious problems in breathing or if the baby is far too premature, a tube is looped into the trachea, also called windpipe, and then connected to a respirator machine that pumps oxygen into the infant’s lungs.

Further, the skin may be too soft and transparent that you can see the veins right under it. The skin may have wrinkles on it or be too taut. It is therefore important to let the infant remain indoors, in a high-risk nursery, without direct sunlight. This is also related to another key requirement in the care for premature infants. This is in maintaining its body temperature and that of the immediate environs at room temperature since the thermal regulating system in the body has not yet learnt or developed to do what the mother’s body had been doing to keep the infant at optimal body temperature. That is why the first step in giving care to premature infants is to place it in a warm isolette machine or a specialized nursery where the temperature can be regulated to ideal levels.

Soon enough, with proper care and attention, the infant rouses up from slumber and grows into healthy childhood. But until the infant attains a stable, healthy body weight, is able to feed by mouth and no other complications is noted, the infant must be given premature infant care while still in a hospital nursery. Severely premature infants have more complications and dependence, calling for longer stays in hospital nurseries before they are able to sustain their life naturally. But even these, usually catch up and adapt to the requirements.