Premature Baby Development

Premature Baby Development: Special Care

Before your premature baby is able to go home, she'll receive specialized care in the NICU. She may need to be placed in an incubator, fed intravenously, and placed on oxygen. Her blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and oxygen levels will be monitored, also. She may need to be treated for jaundice using phototherapy, and of course, other serious medical conditions will be addressed.

When Can Baby Go Home?

There are several factors that doctors use in determining when to release a premature infant from the hospital. Many hospitals don't have specific weight requirements for premature infants to be released, but there are other important requirements that must be met, including the following:

1. Consistent body temperature in an open crib.
2. Gestational age of approximately thirty-four weeks.
3. Infant can be fed by mouth and is gaining weight.
4. Infant's medicine doesn't require hospital aid.
5. No recent changes in medicine have occurred.

Monitoring Growth

A premature infant's growth chart is typically adjusted because of his prematurity. There are actually charts created that plot the average growth expectancy of premature infants, and these are much more accurate than full-term baby charts. A premature baby's development is typically based on his estimated due date rather than his actual birth date.

Premature infants must play catch-up, and they generally do so at different periods during the first three years of life. Those babies who don't catch-up at various periods during the first three years typically continue to show developmental delays and other medical problems.

Immunizations

A premature infant's immunization schedule should be decided based upon that baby's chronological age, not his gestational age. The hepatitus B shot is the only exception to this rule, and it is typically administered when a baby has reached a weight of 4 lb, 6 oz.

Important Points to Remember

Although parenting a premature baby can be stressful at times, remember that your little one is growing and becoming stronger every day. Keep the following points in mind:

1. Most premature babies will go through the same developmental stages as full-term babies.
2. An easy way to keep up with developmental expectations is to subtract the number of weeks that your baby was born early from his current age.
3. This means that you may need to wait to start solid foods, whole milk, etc, and your baby may not develop socially and physically as quickly as other babies who were born full-term.
4. By the time your baby reaches his second birthday, it will probably be difficult to determine that he was ever born prematurely.

Finally, always contact your pediatrician with questions or concerns about your child.

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