Premature babies

The birth of a premature baby is always considered a difficult test for parents, in addition, in this case, the risk of developing various diseases increases. Premature babies are babies born between 28 and 37 weeks of gestation.

Causes

The reasons for the birth of a premature baby may be as follows:

• isthmic-cervical insufficiency ;
• abnormalities of the uterus;
• presence of extragenital pathology in the mother;
• infection;
• malformations and intrauterine diseases of the fetus;
• premature placental abruption;
• gestosis;
• the presence of occupational hazards and bad habits of the mother.

Main problems

Consider the most frequent pathologies of premature infants and life-threatening conditions:

1. Absence of surfactant - a substance that prevents the alveolus from falling off and ensures normal functioning of the lungs. Prematurely born babies have to administer surfactant preparations in order for the lungs to adapt quickly to independent breathing.
2. Open the arterial duct. This small vessel connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery during intrauterine development. After birth, it overgrows, but with premature birth it can continue to function, which requires medical or surgical treatment.
3. Insufficient development of the immune system and, as a consequence, high susceptibility to any infectious agents, including opportunistic microorganisms.
4. Retinopathy - retinal damage, which in severe cases can lead to blindness.
5. Necrotizing enterocolitis.

The main feature of premature infants is the immaturity and unreadiness of all organs and systems to live outside the mother's body. Therefore, such babies need special care.

Nursing and feeding

Care for premature babies is to maintain the basic mechanisms of life. For this baby, as well as for the born in time, close contact with the mother is important. After all, in conditions of close emotional contact, his physical as well as mental development will be faster. Breastfeeding of premature babies should be given special attention. In this case, the need for nutrients is greater, but the functioning of the digestive and nervous systems is still not well established. As a result we get the following problems of preterm infants during feeding:

• weak or completely absent sucking reflex, as well as reflex swallowing;
• small amount of stomach;
• decreased tone and peristalsis of the intestine;
• insufficient synthesis or low activity of the main digestive enzymes, including lactases.

Premature babies under the age of 33 weeks are shown feeding through the probe. This method of nutrition is necessary, as in deeply premature children there is a disruption of coordination between the process of sucking and swallowing and thus there is a risk of choking with milk. As a food use expressed breast milk or special mixtures. During feeding through the probe the baby can be given a pacifier that will promote the maturation of the sucking reflex. As the child grows and develops, it is often necessary to apply to the breast and gradually switch to breastfeeding.

Begin the process of nursing preterm infants from the placement of the child in the cuvette, which provides the necessary temperature regime, oxygen supply and protection from the negative effects of environmental factors. If the baby was born prematurely, then another of its features is the almost complete absence of subcutaneous fat. In this case, the blood vessels are located close to the surface of the skin. Therefore, when the temperature fluctuates, there is a rapid supercooling or overheating of the immature organism.