Premature infant

Alternative Names

Treatment

When premature labor develops and cannot be stopped medically, the health care team will prepare for a high-risk birth. The mother may be moved to a center that specifically cares for premature infants, for example, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

In some cases, medicines called steroids may be given to the mother in help the baby's lungs mature. When born, the baby is moved to a high-risk nursery. The infant is placed under a warmer or in an machine called an isolette, which controls the air temperature.

Since infants are usually unable to coordinate sucking and swallowing before 34 weeks gestation, your baby may have a feeding tube placed into the stomach. In very premature infants, nutrition may be given through a vein until the baby is stable enough to receive feedings by mouth. (See: Neonatal weight gain and nutrition)

If the infant has breathing problems, a tube may be placed into the windpipe (trachea). A machine called a respirator will help the baby breathe. Oxygen is given.

Nursery care is needed until the infant reaches a stable body weight and is able to feed by mouth and maintain body temperature. In very small infants, other problems may complicate treatment and a longer hospital stay may be needed.

Support Groups

There are multiple support groups for parents of premature babies. Ask the social worker in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Prematurity used to be a major cause of infant deaths. Improved medical and nursing techniques have increased the survival of premature infants. A greater chance of survival is associated with increasing length of the pregnancy. Of babies born at 28 weeks, approximately 90% survive.

Prematurity is not without long-term effects. Many premature infants have medical problems that continue into childhood or permanently. As a rule, the more premature an infant and the smaller the birth weight, the greater the risk of complications. It must be stressed, however, that it is impossible to predict the long-term outcome for an individual baby just on the basis of gestational age or birth weight.

Possible Complications

Possible complications include:

• Anemia
• Bleeding into the brain (intraventricular hemorrhage of the newborn)
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
• Cognitive or motor disability or delay
• Delayed growth and development
• Infection or neonatal sepsis
• Heart disease
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
• Newborn jaundice
• Retinopathy and vision loss or blindness
• Severe intestinal inflammation (necrotizing enterocolitis)

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if you are pregnant and believe you are going into labor prematurely.

If you are pregnant and not receiving prenatal care, call your health care provider or your state's department of health. Most state health departments have programs that provide prenatal care to mothers, whether or not they have insurance or are able to pay.