Understanding the needs of premature babies

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is expertly consulted by Assoc. Dr. Dr. Huynh Thoai Loan - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. He is one of the leading experts in Pediatrics - Neonatology in Ho Chi Minh City with nearly 30 years of experience in examining and treating pediatric endocrinology, pediatric kidney and other pediatric - neonatal problems. .
If the baby is born too early, it will face a lot of health problems in the short term as well as in the long term. The most important thing at this time is that parents need to calm down, understand the problems they are facing and will be able to take good care of the baby.

1. Challenges for Premature Babies

Premature birth is the term used to describe a baby born before 37 weeks of gestation. Usually, the earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk of complications.
First, premature babies often have underdeveloped subcutaneous fat layer, so the issue of keeping the baby warm must be taken care of. The cries of premature babies are often weak, and they often have breathing problems such as respiratory distress syndrome or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Premature babies can be difficult to feed. Some other common problems in premature babies are neonatal jaundice, anemia due to premature birth, apnea, infections, retinopathy in premature babies,...
Premature babies can also experience other problems. intellectual development problems, motor impairments, behavioral disorders, mental illnesses and many other chronic conditions.

2. Taking care of premature babies

Premature babies may need special care, parents need to calm down, then find out information to be able to care for the baby:
Talk to the doctor to know the baby's condition: Ignorance will increase anxiety and fear. The neonatal resuscitation unit has a lot of equipment (monitor, ventilator,...), if you have any concerns, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor, because the more you know, the less you worry. calm and easier to accept and solve the situation. Notify the doctor: If your baby shows any unusual signs or symptoms, notify the doctor immediately. Prepare breast milk for baby: Breast milk contains a lot of protein needed for the baby's development as well as helping the baby fight off infections. Premature babies may not yet be able to breastfeed or bottle feed right away, but there are other ways to feed your baby breast milk. In addition, the mother can freeze the milk for later use.

Premature babies need to be fed as soon as possible after birth. Children need to eat 6 to 8 times a day. Ask your doctor about additional ingredients (if needed) for your baby (eg vitamin supplements, preterm infant formula, etc.).
Spend time with the baby: Talking, telling stories with the baby is also essential. If possible, hold the baby in your lap, or you can apply the skin-to-skin method for the baby. Learn how to feed, cuddle, and comfort your baby. If you are afraid of affecting your baby's tools and equipment (such as an endotracheal tube, a wire connected to a monitoring monitor,...), ask for help from doctors and nurses. Let the moments with your baby always be filled with love and happiness.

3. Parents need to take care of themselves too

Although all care is now focused on the baby, parents should not forget that they themselves need to be taken care of. Only healthy parents can take the best care of their babies.
Take time for self-healing: Try to give yourself time to recover, eat well, rest when you can. Sometimes being physically active can make you feel better, too. Understand your own emotions: Happiness, joy, sadness, anger, anxiety, ... a lot of emotions can take place. Before an event, each person will have different reactions and emotions. The couple should sympathize and share to overcome this difficult time together. Take advantage of rest: When not in the hospital, take the time to rest. Balancing time in the hospital with rest at home is extremely important. Take care of your baby's siblings: Try to explain to your older child (if any) that the baby is sick and needs a lot of care, don't let them feel left out, don't let them They think it's their fault that the baby is sick. If allowed, bring them in to visit the baby. Accept help: Let your friends and family join hands to help you through this difficult time.

4. Bringing the baby back home

The moment the baby is discharged from the hospital is an unforgettable moment. At this time, all worries and sorrows are gone, the main feeling is relief, joy, happiness. Remember, the more time you spend with your baby, the better you'll get to know him, and the stronger the bond with him will become.
Understand your baby's needs: Be sure to know all of your baby's medical indications (medication and administration, how to monitor your baby, how to give him oxygen, etc.). Never forget the time of your baby's follow-up visit as well as how to contact the doctor as soon as something unusual happens. Find local support: if unfortunately the baby has a disability, seek help from local hospitals, centers, organizations, ....

For premature babies, there is an indicator used to assess the maturity of the child, which is the corrected age. The corrected age is calculated by subtracting the number of weeks of the baby's age from the number of weeks that the baby was born prematurely, for example: the baby was born before 8 weeks prematurely, now the baby is 24 weeks old, so the adjusted age of the baby now is 16 weeks year old.
At Vinmec Times City International Hospital, we have successfully received and treated many cases of premature babies, especially cases of extremely preterm birth (24 weeks premature babies weighing only 600 grams)
Treatment of premature babies is one of the techniques is extremely complicated, high risk for both mother and fetus. At Vinmec Times City International Hospital, preterm births are well organized under the coordination of many specialties: obstetrics, anesthesiology, and especially neonatology and paediatrics. This helps to reduce the risks and increase the effectiveness of treatment for health problems that premature babies may have. As a result, the technique of treating premature babies at Vinmec has achieved extremely positive results, saving the lives of many seemingly hopeless premature births.

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Article referenced source: mayoclinic.org