Let's take a closer look at how premature babies differ week by week. Over half of premature babies born between 23 and 24 weeks of pregnancy will survive delivery and live to see life outside of the NICU. Babies born before 23 weeks may survive. The youngest preemie ever to survive was Amillia Taylor, who was born at only 21 weeks and 6 days gestation 23 to 24 weeks is often considered the age of viability for premature babies. Premature babies born between 23 to 24 weeks gestation are called micro-preemies.
They weigh just over a pound and measure about 8 inches long from their head to their bottoms. Babies born at this time will be covered by fine hair called lanugo , to keep them warm, as they have not yet developed brown fat.
Their skin is also very thin and delicate. Although their eyes will most likely be fused shut, they'll have fully developed eyelashes and brows. They will even have tiny fingernails. That being said, most of the body's systems are underdeveloped at 23 to 24 weeks gestation. The lower airways are only beginning to develop, which is why many weekers and weekers will need respiratory support for long periods of time. Babies at this age have fully formed hearing systems.
While that means they can hear your voice , loud noises can be overstimulating and overwhelming to their underdeveloped nervous system. Babies born at this time are also called micro-preemies, and they face long NICU stays and have many health issues related to prematurity. By 26 weeks gestation, premature babies' lungs are starting to develop alveoli, the air sacs that allow gas exchange. Another developmental milestones for 25 and 26 weekers is the development of the startle reflex.
A baby born at this time will startle at loud noises—a normal reaction of their nervous system. A babie's footprints and fingerprints are also developing at this stage. By 27 weeks , premature babies are no longer considered micro-preemies.
However, 27 and 28 weekers still require a lot of medical care and can be expected to stay in the NICU for long periods of time. Rapid eye development is occurring. Premature babies born after 27 weeks can blink and no longer have fused eyelids. The retinas are still developing, which puts babies at risk for retinopathy of prematurity ROP. Their eyes can form images at this stage.
By 29 to 30 weeks, a growing baby has matured a lot. Premature babies born between 29 and 30 weeks will still require long NICU stays, but their vital organs are much more developed than those of babies born earlier.
At 29 to 30 weeks, premature babies weigh about 3 pounds and are about 17 inches long. While they're still very small, 29 weekers and 30 weekers have more fat stored under their skin , making them look more like "real" babies. Extremely premature babies, those born before 28 weeks, are at the greatest risk for problems. And they may be too immature to function well. Premature babies can have long-term health problems as well. Generally, the more premature the baby, the more serious and long-lasting the health problems may be.
More babies are surviving even though they are born early and are very small. But it is best to prevent preterm labor if possible.
It's important to get good prenatal care while you are pregnant. Your healthcare provider can help find problems and suggest lifestyle changes to lower the risk for preterm labor and birth. Some ways to help prevent prematurity include:. Your healthcare provider may give you the hormone progesterone if you are at high risk for preterm birth.
Progesterone can help if you have had a previous preterm birth. Premature babies often need time to catch up in both development and growth. In the hospital, this catch-up time may mean learning to eat and sleep, as well as steadily gaining weight. Babies may stay in the hospital until they reach the pregnancy due date.
Or he might respond to your voice but get stressed by other noises. His responses will start to give you some clues to what he likes and dislikes. To breastfeed, she needs to know how to suck, swallow and breathe in the right order.
But if your baby is medically stable, you might be able to start skin-to-skin contact by doing kangaroo care. In the womb a baby keeps getting heavier and longer, starts to move more often, knows the difference between some sounds — for example, voices and music — starts to grasp with his hands, and opens and shuts his eyes. At this age, your premature baby will still be well supported with bedding and positioning, but she might move and stretch more actively as her muscle tone gets better.
Your baby keeps responding to pleasant sounds and is still sensitive to other sounds. You can start to talk or sing to your baby during his short alert times.
But keep stimulation to one thing at a time — for example, eye contact or talking, but not both at once. Your baby might still be sensitive to touch , but he likes steady, gentle, hands-on touch or skin-to-skin contact. You might be able to get involved in caring for your baby about now. Mothers who are 17 or younger or 35 or older are more likely to have a premature baby.
Teen moms are more likely to get high blood pressure during pregnancy and less likely to get the health care they need. Older women are more likely to have health problems before they get pregnant. The number of babies multiples. The chances of having a premature baby go up if the mother is pregnant with twins, triplets, or more. More than half of all twins are born early. Your health.
Moms with problems like diabetes, depression, or high blood pressure may need to see their health care professional more often to keep these conditions under control.
Problems with an earlier pregnancy. A woman who has had a previous early delivery, or a baby born with health problems or a birth defect , is more likely to have problems in future pregnancies too.
Other factors. It's not clear why, but black women are more likely to have premature babies than white and Hispanic women.
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