Caring For a Premature Baby

A premature baby is defined as any infant that has been born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Full-term babies that have extremely low birth weights can also be classified as being "premmies." These youngsters often require additional medical care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) immediately after birth. As parents of a premature baby, you should be aware that the child will also need additional care for the first two years of their life upon coming home.

Soon after your baby comes home, you should take him to see his pediatrician so that the doctor can keep a close eye on any weight gain or loss that has occurred. He may also recommend a special feeding program that may include a special formula that is combined with a number of vitamins. These vitamins will help to ensure that your "premmie" remains healthy and can continue to grow at a normal rate in these first few months of development.

The doctor may also recommend that your baby be given iron drops for the first few months. Unlike full-term children, premature babies often suffer from a deficiency in this mineral. By supplementing it in his diet, your baby's iron levels can be returned to normal levels by the age of four months, at which time the iron treatments can be stopped. However, depending on your child's particular case, the doctor may advise the supplements to be continued for the first full year of his life.

Feeding schedules for a premature baby may also be more frequent than those of normal infants. Most premature babies need eight to ten feedings a day. While doctors recommend that parents feed normal babies every four hours, premature infants may need to eat more often. Waiting the four hour period may cause these little ones to become dehydrated.

It is also recommended that premature babies should wait to try solid foods until four to six months after their mother's original due date and not from their actual birth date. As a premature baby's system is less developed other children of the same age, he may have trouble swallowing and digesting solid foods if they are given to him too early.

Premature children also do not grow as quickly as full-term babies. As they are smaller to begin with, these infants will need additional time to "catch up" to grow to normal size. Usually by the age of two years, these children are often the same size as other toddlers in the same age group.

The physical development of these tiny youngsters may also progress at a much slower rate when compared to full-term babies. These children usually begin to sit up, crawl, and even walk at later ages due to the fact that their muscles and balance is also less developed. Your doctor has a special chart that can let you know if your baby is developing at a normal rate when compared to other premature children.

Premature children need additional care and patience due to their early arrival in the world. By the age of two, you will probably not be able to tell the difference between your youngster and any other two year old. He will be able to run and play and develop into a normal healthy and happy child.