Characteristics of a Premature Baby
Caring for a baby born too early is a challenging event in any parent's life, but with research and education is manageable. From the micro-preemie to the "just a little early," premature babies share a lot of the same characteristics.
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Types
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Premature babies fall into 3 classifications. According to the book Your Premature Baby, premature babies fall into three categories: extremely premature (born at 24 to 28 weeks), very premature (born at 29 to 34 weeks) and moderately premature (born at 35 to 37 weeks).
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Time Frame
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Babies are viable between 23-25 weeks A full-term baby has spent 38 to 41 weeks in her mother's womb. According to Your Premature Baby, a baby is considered "viable" between 23 and 25 weeks, meaning he can live if born during or after that time. Because of underdeveloped lungs few babies born at 22 weeks or earlier survive.
Features
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Seizures are common. Premature babies are underweight and have breathing difficulties. Many have apnea (stop breathing) and underdeveloped lungs, digestive systems, and brains. Seizures are common.
Effects
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All systems of a baby are affected. Prematurity affects the skin as well as inside organs and systems. Babies might have jaundice and dry, flaky skin. Cyanosis (blue skin) is caused by an immature circulatory system and can effect the baby's heart.
Considerations
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Premature babies usually catch up to their full term peers. According to The Premature Baby Book, most premature babies catch up to their full-term peers by two years of age. Premature babies are evaluated by their corrected chronological age, not their actual age.
References
- Photo Credit "Funny Face 2" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Boy27wonder (Christopher Patterson) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Hurry up!" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: conorwithonen (Conor Ogle) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Free Sweet Baby Kisses Family Love Creative Commons" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Pink Sherbet Photography (D. Sharon Pruitt) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Sleeping Beauty" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Hamed Saber (Hamed Saber) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Waiting" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: conorwithonen (Conor Ogle) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "::لبيه يابو عيون وساع ...اغيرك أحد ألبي له ::" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: » Zitona « (zitona qatar) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
