Premature Infancy

Premature Infancy

Premature babies, otherwise known as preterm babies, or preemies, are

babies that are born earlier than the full-term of thirty-eight to forty-two

weeks of pregnancy. These babies are generally born between the twentieth and

thirty-eighth week. Almost 250,000 babies, nearly seven percent of newborns,

are premature(Golant 4). Prematurity, even with all the advances in technology,

is still a major cause of fetal and neonatal death. Actually, around seventy-

five percent of perinatal deaths are due to a number of problems associated

with prematurity(Freeman 232). Premature babies are very weak and defenseless,

and need to be hospitalized. One reason for this is that a baby may become

startled into shock by a loud sound or even bright light. This occurs because

many babies have fully-developed senses and underdeveloped organs, which may

become a problem, since the brain may not be developed well enough to be able

to distinguish these different senses, which causes the baby to panic and lose

control of its actions.

The main underdeveloped parts of a premature baby are its organs,

chiefly the lungs and the brain. The lungs are developed in the last few weeks

of pregnancy, and if the child is born before the thirty sixth week, he/she may

require some special attention. Usually, the child is monitored closely for

the first few weeks of its life, in order to make sure there is no problems

with the breathing or any other function of its body. The premature baby will

probably need supplemental oxygen to help it through the early stages, but

rarely will it need an actual respirator or other life-supporting device on a

full-time twenty four hour basis. In fact, giving the baby too much oxygen may

complicate problems, such as damages to the eyes. This is caused by a over-

abundance of oxygen in the blood stream, which in turn causes the blood vessels

of the eye to expand, damaging the eye. This problem is one of the main

concerns when bearing a pre-term baby versus a full-term baby.

Another difference, probably the most noticeable one, is the size and

weight of the baby. A preemie will look thin and helpless, and will also have

transparent skin. Blood vessels, veins and bones are sometimes visible through

the skin of these babies. This is because the skin of a premature baby is very

fragile and tend...

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... eight to forty two

weeks, and must get rid of the children from the uterus in order to return the

body to normal and prevent any injuries from occurring inside the mother's womb.

Many advances are occurring everyday which enable mothers to feel safer

with the care of premature babies. New drugs are being developed and new

methods are being tested to ensure the security of a preemie, enabling the rate

of deaths and the rate of premature babies born to both be lowered. As

recently as 1986, premature babies had a much lower chance of survival, and

with the help of experts, this factor has been greatly reduced. Hopefully, by

the time our generation or our children's generation begins to think about

bearing children, there will not be much of a risk of having a premature baby.

Works Cited

Freeman, Roger, and Pescar, Susan. "Safe Delivery: Protecting Your Baby During

High-Risk Pregnancy. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1982.

Golant, Susan and Ludington, Susan. Kangaroo Care The Best You Can Do To Help

Your Preterm Infant. New York: Bantam Books, 1993.

Griesemer, Bernard and Pfister, Fred. The Littlest Baby. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-

Hall Inc., 1983.