|
|
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – A premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby’s estimated due date. In other words, a premature birth is one that occurs before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy.
Premature babies, especially those born very early, often have complicated medical problems. Typically, complications of prematurity vary. But the earlier your baby is born, the higher the risk of complications.
Depending on how early a baby is born, he or she may be:
- Late preterm, born between 34 and 36 completed weeks of pregnancy
- Moderately preterm, born between 32 and 34 weeks of pregnancy
- Very preterm, born at less than 32 weeks of pregnancy
- Extremely preterm, born at or before 25 weeks of pregnancy
Most premature births occur in the late preterm stage.
Products & Services
Symptoms
Your baby may have very mild symptoms of premature birth, or may have more-obvious complications.
Some signs of prematurity include the following:
- Small size, with a disproportionately large head
- Sharper looking, less rounded features than a full-term baby’s features, due to a lack of fat stores
- Fine hair (lanugo) covering much of the body
- Low body temperature, especially immediately after birth in the delivery room, due to a lack of stored body fat
- Labored breathing or respiratory distress
- Lack of reflexes for sucking and swallowing, leading to feeding difficulties
The following tables show the median birth weight, length and head circumference of premature babies at different gestational ages for each sex.
| Weight, length and head circumference by gestational age for boys | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age | Weight | Length | Head circumference |
| 40 weeks | 7 lbs., 15 oz. (3.6 kg) |
20 in. (51 cm) | 13.8 in. (35 cm) |
| 35 weeks | 5 lbs., 8 oz. (2.5 kg) |
18.1 in. (46 cm) | 12.6 in. (32 cm) |
| 32 weeks | 3 lbs., 15.5 oz. (1.8 kg) |
16.5 in. (42 cm) | 11.6 in. (29.5 cm) |
| 28 weeks | 2 lbs., 6.8 oz. (1.1 kg) |
14.4 in. (36.5 cm) | 10.2 in. (26 cm) |
| 24 weeks | 1 lb., 6.9 oz. (0.65 kg) |
12.2 in. (31 cm) | 8.7 in. (22 cm) |
| Weight, length and head circumference by gestational age for girls | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age | Weight | Length | Head circumference |
| 40 weeks | 7 lbs., 7.9 oz. (3.4 kg) |
20 in. (51 cm) | 13.8 in. (35 cm) |
| 35 weeks | 5 lbs., 4.7 oz. (2.4 kg) |
17.7 in. (45 cm) | 12.4 in. (31.5 cm) |
| 32 weeks | 3 lbs., 12 oz. (1.7 kg) |
16.5 in. (42 cm) | 11.4 in. (29 cm) |
| 28 weeks | 2 lbs., 3.3 oz. (1.0 kg) |
14.1 in. (36 cm) | 9.8 in. (25 cm) |
| 24 weeks | 1 lb., 5.2 oz. (0.60 kg) |
12.6 in. (32 cm) | 8.3 in. (21 cm) |
Special care
If you deliver a preterm baby, your baby will likely need a longer hospital stay in a special nursery unit at the hospital. Depending on how much care your baby requires, he or she may be admitted to an intermediate care nursery or the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Doctors and a specialized team with training in taking care of preterm babies will be available to help care for your baby. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Your baby may need extra help feeding, and adapting immediately after delivery. Your health care team can help you understand what is needed and what your baby’s care plan will be.