Doctors – Guide: Premature babies and premature birth

2023-06-02 18:37:20

By: Radiant Fall – Zap Doctors system

The main points of the article:

• A premature baby is a baby born three weeks before the expected date of birth or even much earlier. A normal pregnancy period, which allows the healthy development of the baby, lasts 40 weeks.
• The normal weight of a fetus at week 40 is on average about 3.4 kilos. The weight of premature babies is lower: a premature baby at the 35th week weighs on average about 2.4 kilos and the weight of a premature baby at the 28th week is 1 kilo on average.
• Premature babies are at higher risk of developing developmental problems. Babies born at 23 to 24 weeks can survive, but are at higher risk of health complications.
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A premature baby is a baby born three weeks before the expected date of birth or even much earlier. A normal pregnancy period that allows healthy development of the baby lasts 40 weeks. On the other hand, premature birth puts the baby and the mother at risk. According to statistics, every year approximately 15 million premature babies are born around the world, and in Israel statistics speak of one out of 14 pregnancies. There are many factors that can increase the risk of premature birth, among them: smoking, drug and alcohol consumption, underweight, overweight and more.

Weight expired

If the normal weight of a fetus at 40 weeks is about 3.4 kilos on average, the weight of a premature baby is much lower: a premature baby at the 35th week weighs on average about 2.4 kilos and the weight of a premature baby at the 28th week is 1 kilo on average.

premature birth

Premature babies are at higher risk of developing developmental problems. Babies born at 23 to 24 weeks can survive, but are at higher risk of health complications. Many babies born before 32 weeks and those who weigh 2.5 kg or less may need breathing assistance. They will usually be cared for in a neonatal intensive care unit until they are developed enough to survive on their own. Often, the cause of preterm birth is unknown. However, some of the reasons for this Premature babies are:

• Problems with the cervix – when it is too weak to hold the weight of the baby.
• Multiple pregnancy.
• Preeclampsia.
• placental abruption.
• diabetes mellitus.
• background diseases
• History of early labor.

Premature feeding

Premature babies need to gain weight at a rapid rate to get stronger. However, when their digestive system and sucking abilities are not developed enough, they will need help to eat. The type of help they will need depends on how early they came into the world. Some babies will receive fluids and nutrition through a thin tube into a vein. These liquids are absorbed directly into the blood, so the intestines will not have to process them. This method is called intravenous feeding. This form of feeding is based on proteins, vitamins, minerals, sugar, fat and water, and it may last for days or weeks depending on the baby’s development and his ability to eat in other ways.

Expired entry. Photo: Shutterstock

The ambition is to strengthen the baby and start to establish a feeding routine based on breastfeeding or formula (baby food compound), but this may take time.

Expired at week 26

At week 26, premature babies weigh about 900 grams on average. Premature babies born at this stage of pregnancy are included in the premature premature category and will be forced to stay several months premature due to health problems related to the lack of development of many systems and organs in their body. At this point they will need help breathing and feeding. This week the “Moro” reflex develops, which brings with it the startle effect – a baby born this week is startled by loud noises, as a natural reaction of the nervous system.

Expired at week 27

From 27 weeks, premature babies are no longer included in the category of prematurity. These babies have a survival rate of more than 95% after being treated for prematurity (neonatal intensive care). At the same time, premature babies who were born at 27 and 28 weeks still require a lot of medical care and can be expected to be treated prematurely for months since their systems are not fully developed. By 28 weeks, premature babies weigh only one kilogram on average.

Expires in week 28-29

Premature babies born at 27 and 28 weeks require a lot of medical care and it can be expected that they will stay in intensive care for months. In these weeks, premature babies weigh about a kilogram to 1.8 kilograms. At this stage, rapid development of the eyes occurs – premature babies born after 27 weeks can blink and they can see to some extent. Also, even in these stages, the premature babies will be fed through the vein and will need respiratory assistance.

Expired at week 34

Premature babies born at 34 weeks are included in the category of late prematurity. Their weight is about 2.2 kilos – a weight approaching that of a baby born on time. At the same time, babies who were born this week are not yet mature, they may be required to remain premature for several weeks. Also, at this age their bones are fully developed and in male babies the scrotum is developed. However, the respiratory system does not finish developing until the last weeks of pregnancy and the immune system of a premature baby is also very fragile.

Expired in neonatal intensive care. Photo: Shutterstock

During this week, premature babies may need help breathing for a short time. Learning to eat may take quite some time because the sucking-swallowing-breathing reflex is not well developed. During this period, it is also important to watch for signs of overstimulation from the environment. In addition, it is important that the babies at this stage sleep properly because their brains develop during sleep.

Birth at 36 weeks – premature birth?

The answer is yes, babies born this week belong to the late prematurity phase, but of course they are more developed compared to prematures born in earlier weeks. However, although they may look like full-term babies, they are more sensitive. For example, their lungs will not be fully developed for another two weeks and they may not have enough fat to maintain their body heat and developed suction capacity. Therefore, it is important to treat them prematurely until they get stronger.

Maternity leave for mothers of premature babies

Mothers of premature babies who are hospitalized for prematurity are entitled to an extension of maternity leave and to receive maternity benefits. Maternity pay for 15 weeks will be extended for an additional 20 weeks and maternity pay for 8 weeks will be extended for an additional 12 weeks of maternity pay.