Premature Birth and Physical Development

By: Jessica BolenbaughDeandra BorkholderRachel BrownJessica Grandlinard

Definition of a Premature Birth

• An infant born earlier than 37 weeks gestation is considered premature.

• An infant is also considered premature if it weighs less than 2,500 grams (about five and one half pounds).

Incidence of Prematurity

Gestational Age % of all births40< 35.15%37-39 52.36%34-36 8.9%32-33 1.59%28-31 1.25%<28 .75%

Causes of Premature Birth

• Multiple Babies• Lifestyle/Environmental Factors • Other Medical Issues• Unknown

Signs and Treatment of Preterm Labor

• Contractions• Ruptured Membranes• Cramps• Back Pain• Pressure• Discharge

Treatment• Bed Rest• Hydration• Magnesium Sulfate• Corticosteroid

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

• Parent involvement is encouraged• Kangaroo Care• Less stressful delivery of high-technology

medicine• Nutrition and growth

http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/PrematureBabies/NICU-Equipment.aspx?articleID=9429&categoryID=PI-nh1-11a

http://media.photobucket.com/image/preemies%20leaving%20the%20hospital/geojenna/100_0457.jpg

To Get Home

• Consistent body temperature• 34 weeks• Fed by mouth• Gaining weight • Medicine doesn't require hospital aid • No recent changes in medicine

http://www.lilimay.com/images/preemie/cosy-wrap-lg.jpg

Home Care

• Overstimulation• Limited visits due to infections• Sensitive to scent• Sensitive to sound• Sensitive to extreme lighting

http://www.life123.com/bm.pix/baby-wont-sleep3--baby-sleeping.s600x600.jpg

Development

• Growth– Poor feeding and nutrition– Problems sucking and

swallowing• Heart and Lungs

– Blood and air supply limited• Motor system

– Muscular weakness• Delays sitting, walking,

running, talking– Awkward movement

•Development is often slower than full term babies and the following can be delayed in premature babies:

• Neurodevelopment– Disease– Infections

• Hearing, eyesight, learning

• Social Development and interaction– Slow responses

Average = 18.1 inches - 21.7 inches

Average = 5.5-9.5 lbs

• By age 2, 85% of children have mostly caught up in their physical development

Problems caused by premature birth

• The earlier the baby is born, the greater the risk of serious complications.

• Apnea of prematurity• Retinopathy of prematurity• Jaundice• Anemia• Chronic lung disease

• Half of infants born at 24-28 weeks gestation – disability at 5 years.

• One third of infants born at 29-32 weeks gestation – disability at 5 years.

Specific things you can do to help your baby

• There has been new studies about using music to help premature babies deal with different levels of pain they have to deal with.

• One study used 31 infants and randomly received live music, recorded music, and no music therapy.

• The therapy was delivered for 30 minutes• Their conclusions were that with the live

music therapy, the babies hear rate reduced and they slept 30 minutes after the therapy was over

• The recorded and no music therapies had no effect

• Some doctors think that mothers should be discouraged from breast feeding their babies and that they should have a special preemie formula.

• Insisting the formula would better nourish the baby’s unique needs.

• How ever, other doctors think the opposite and that breast milk is the best thing for a premature baby.

• When a mother has a premature baby, she actually makes extra rich milk to make up their lack of nutrients.

Some things you can do while your premature baby grows up

• Play simple games with them• Make sure that they are aware of their

surroundings• Sing songs and rhymes with them• Talk to them so they learn how to use new

words in context

• www.marchofdimes.com• www.patient.co.uk/doctor-Premature-Babies-and -their-Problems.htm• www.Kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/preemies.html• www.drugs.com/cg/normal-growth-and-development-of-prematrue-infants.h

tml• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonatal_intensive-care_unit • http://pregnancy.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=pregnancy&cd

n=parenting&tm=2&gps=70_836_1259_831&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/medical_problems/preemies.html

• http://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Premature_Baby_Development• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/202299/environmental_sensitivity

_little_known.html?cat=25

• http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/search?vid=1&hid=6&sid=f01e74c9-eb9c-40fe-9c0c-f3370e99ab55%40sessionmgr10

• http://www.drugs.com/cg/normal-growth-and-development-of-premature-infants.html

• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/169872/breastfeeding_the_premature_infant_pg2.html?cat=25

• http://www.babydevelopmentnews.com/prematureinfantdevelopment.html

•http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/PrematureBabies/About-Premature-Babies.aspx?articleID=7887&categoryID=PI-nh1•http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prematurebabies.html•http://www.drugs.com/cg/normal-growth-and-development-of-premature-infants.html•http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/index_about_5804.asp•http://www.bubhub.com.au/info/articles/premature-babies/what_is_premature_birth_what_are_the_risk_factors.shtml•http://www.bubhub.com.au/info/articles/pregnancy/signs_treatment_of_pre-term_labour.shtml• •http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/PrematureBabies/How-to-Help-Visuomotor-Skills.aspx?articleID=6889&categoryID=PI-nh5-03g