Caring for a Premature Baby: What Parents Need to Know

A preemie is not just a very small baby. Premature babies face some great risks and obstacles because the protection of the womb is suddenly removed. They still need that protective environment to develop their immature organs, especially their brain. According to paediatricians, a baby born before the 37^th  week of pregnancy is completed is considered premature while a baby born before 28 weeks is extremely preterm.

Causes of premature birth

Prematurity can be caused by various medical conditions during pregnancy as well as certain lifestyle conditions. These include:

• Multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, and so on)
• Pre-eclampsia
• HELLP syndrome (a life-threatening complication considered to be a variant of pre-eclampsia)
• Premature rupture of membranes
• Bleeding of the placenta such as in cases of placenta praevia
• Placenta abruption
• Injury to the abdomen (during a car accident or fall)
• Foetal abnormalities
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure)

Understanding NICU lingo

When your baby is admitted to the NICU, you’ll learn a whole different language that can be really scary. This handy glossary from Prematurity – Adjusting your Dream, will help you understand what the doctors and nurses are saying.  

When you can take your baby home Premature babies usually go home on the day they should have been born. If there aren’t any major complications, your premature baby may be released from the hospital a few weeks prior to the actual due date. Before the doctor will discharge your baby, he will make sure that she can breathe comfortably without respiratory support, ensure that there are no neurological cardiac or eye complications and that she can feed on her own (premature babies are generally tube-fed in hospital).

7 Tips that will come in handy when you take your preemie home:

1. Ask the nurses at the hospital where you can find preemie products in your area, or get in touch with other moms who had preemies on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.
2. Remember to ask your doctor when your little one’s first check-up should be scheduled for before you leave the hospital.
3. If you have questions about anything from bathing and breastfeeding to burping your baby, ask the NICU nurses, your lactation consultant, and your doctor.
4. Remember to install a child safety seat in your car before taking your baby home.
5. Don’t overdress your baby – if it’s warm, a nappy and T-shirt are fine, together with a blanket to wrap her in when you leave the hospital.
6. Young babies typically cry for one to five hours in 24 hours and can’t always be calmed, so don’t fret about these crying spells; they’ll subside after a few weeks.
7. If you’re concerned about your baby’s health, feel free to call your doctor.