How to take care of a premature baby
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How to take care of a premature baby?
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Premature baby: A baby is considered premature when born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Premature births have increased considerably over the past 25 years and represent 8% of births in the United Kingdom, or more than 15,000 children each year. About 4,600 of these babies will be born before 32 weeks of pregnancy.
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What are the causes of premature birth? Several factors can contribute to premature delivery: There are two types of premature births: those that are spontaneous and those that are medically induced due to the health of the mother or unborn child.
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The age of the mother; have already given birth prematurely;
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Maternal infections (e.g. urinary tract infection, infection inside the uterus);
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High blood pressure and gestational diabetes;
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Certain problems linked to the fetus (retardation of growth in the uterus, malformation);
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the number of babies expected;
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A pregnancy attributable to assisted procreation;
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Premature cervical dilation;
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Premature rupture of membranes;
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Spontaneous premature labour;
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Some lifestyle habits in pregnant women (smoking, alcohol, drugs).
- Types of premature babies: The duration of a normal pregnancy is 40 weeks. Most premature babies are born between the 32nd and 37th weeks of pregnancy, but some can be born as early as 22 weeks. The presence and severity of after-effects will depend on various factors, including: number of weeks of pregnancy completed at the time of delivery, presence of certain complications in the baby or the mother, use of steroids and birth weight. The consequences of prematurity can be observed at different levels: physical, behavioural and intellectual. Certain clinical conditions can leave more severe marks in certain babies. Difficulties may be visible upon hospitalization, while others are confirmed during medical follow-ups after discharge from the hospital and, sometimes even, during early childhood.
- The premature (born between 33 and 36 weeks) The premature baby presents a certain respiratory immaturity and has difficulty maintaining heat. He is able to eat almost alone. However, he has difficulty swallowing, breathing and sucking in a coordinated manner, and he gets tired quickly.
- The severe premature (born between 29 and 32 weeks) The very premature baby does not control his breathing well, which may stop. He often needs to receive oxygen and must be in an incubator, because he has less control over his temperature. He is first fed with a small tube (gavage) that goes through his nostril or mouth to his stomach. This minimizes the effort required to suckle and swallow. A fluid may also be administered to ensure that he receives the calories and elements essential for his growth.
- The extremely premature (born before 28 weeks). Extremely premature babies cannot breathe or feed themselves. They are therefore placed on a respirator and IV. They also receive several medications. Furthermore, they may have many health problems and are more likely to experience complications in the hospital (e.g. infections, brain haemorrhage, retinopathy, etc.).
If the baby is born between 22 and 25 weeks, he is at the limit of viability and can suffer severe after-effects.
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The shock of premature birth: For some parents, a premature birth is a painful memory. Several emotions can be felt. For example, stress arises when parents realize that nothing is going as they planned. This feeling is amplified by the fear that the baby is suffering from a serious problem or by the impression of being completely disorganized
- Premature birth often leads to a period of separation between parents and baby. This separation is necessary so that the baby receives the care he needs, just like the mother. Mothers sometimes feel guilty. They believe they are responsible for the situation.
- Other parents feel bad for not instantly loving this baby who is so different from the one they had imagined. There is therefore a mourning for the perfect pregnancy, the desired birth and the healthy baby. All of these feelings are normal. You have to accept them and try to express them. If necessary, parents should not hesitate to talk about what they are feeling to the doctor, nurses or a psychologist. Associations of parents of premature babies also offer support groups.
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Caring for a premature baby: At the hospital, you can participate in your baby's care in several ways. Here are examples of what you can do. Comfort him, premature babies are exposed to a very stimulating environment in the neonatal unit (noise, light, handling, smells). They can thus experience stress if this environment is not adapted to resemble that of the mother's womb as closely as possible.
However, as parents, you can provide comfort to your baby. If his condition allows it, you can, for example, hold him skin to skin (kangaroo method) and speak to him gently. This provides respiratory and cardiac stability, keeps him warm, increases his feeling of security, in addition to promoting better sleep and better motor development. The kangaroo method also allows your baby to feel mum's breasts. He may even start licking and sucking on them.
This method also promotes a feeling of parental competence, improves milk production and helps reduce your anxiety. When a medical procedure is necessary, make sure your baby is awakened gently. To reduce the pain, you can offer her breast milk using the pacifier or directly to the breast, if her condition allows it.
Stimulate him by following his rhythm: Father doing skin-to-skin contact with his premature baby The hospital is a major source of unpleasant stimulation for your premature baby (e.g.: injections, handling by medical staff, the smell of disinfectants, the noise of medical equipment).
It is therefore important to also offer him pleasant sensations. However, it is best to do this gradually, as your baby can quickly become overstimulated. Indeed, simply looking at you, listening to you sing and feeling your caresses can be too much for him to handle at the same time due to his immature nervous system. For this reason, take it step by step.
For example, you can first do skin-to-skin (kangaroo method) with your baby. When he is comfortable like this, sing him a lullaby. Then you can gently massage his back. Finally, you can rock him when he can handle this extra stimulation.
- Feed the baby When a baby is born before 34 weeks of pregnancy, he or she will likely need to receive part of their nutrition intravenously. However, he will quickly receive small amounts of milk using a tube that goes through his nostril or mouth to his stomach. It is then possible for mothers who wish to express their milk to give it to their baby.
- Breast milk is also a great help for a premature baby. However, breastfeeding can be a challenge in the case of premature birth. It is therefore important for the mother to be well surrounded. When the baby reaches the equivalent of 30 to 34 weeks of pregnancy, he generally begins learning to breastfeed or bottle-feed. He may continue to receive force-feeding a few times to give him periods of rest.
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Coming home with a premature baby: The medical team will analyse several factors to determine if your baby can go home. So that you can bring your child home, he:
- Should weigh between 2,000 and 3,000 g, depending on their health; should have sufficient respiratory maturity;
- Must be able to drink from the breast or bottle and take 15 to 30 g per day. After hospitalization, premature babies often need special medical and paramedical monitoring in order to detect possible developmental problems and begin the necessary treatments.
- Some children will not need any treatment. Only a minority of them will need longer medical follow-up, which can last from a few months to several years. During the first weeks after returning home, you may feel anxious despite the joy of finally being home. You will certainly have a period of adaptation to go through.
- If you have any concerns, do not hesitate to contact your hospital. Don’t forget to schedule time to rest. Don't worry about cleaning and ask for help. Grandparents, family and friends can offer valuable help. For example, they can help prepare the baby's room, do certain household chores, take you to the hospital or talk with you about the situation you are experiencing. However, limit visits if you feel that you need peace and quiet.
- For all the health care of the baby, read the other blog on the care for normal's baby.
- Thank you for any comment.