Babies born prematurely may require special care during their first 2 years of life. This is especially true if the baby weighed 3 pounds or less at birth.
Premature Baby's Growth and Development
Take your baby to your doctor's office soon after the baby leaves the hospital. The doctor will check the baby's weight gain and inquire of how the baby is doing at home.
Discuss with your doctor about feeding the premature baby. He may recommend vitamins, iron and special formula if the baby is bottle-fed. Doctors give vitamins to premature babies to help them grow and stay healthy. The doctor may also prescribe extra iron for a premature baby for at least four months. At four months of age a premature baby will have about the same amount of iron as a full-term baby, however, your doctor may still have a premature baby take iron drops for a year or more.
Premature babies are usually smaller than full-term babies for the first 2 years of life. They usually catch up after a while. Keep a record of your premature baby's development. Your doctor will need to know how active the baby is, when your baby sits up for the first time and crawls for the first time for example.
Premature Baby's Immunization Schedule
Immunization or "shots" are given to premature babies at the same ages they are given to full-term babies. Some doctors may recommend a flu shot for a premature baby when he or she is 6 months of age. There is a chance that premature babies will become sicker with the flu more often than full-term babies. He may also recommend the entire family taking flu shots to help protect the premature baby in the home.
Premature Baby's Feeding Schedule
Right after birth, premature babies need 8 to 10 feedings per day. Do not wait longer than 4 hours between. Premature babies are very susceptible to dehydration. Waiting longer than 4 hours between feedings may cause a premature baby to become dehydrated. A good rule of thumb is if your premature baby is wetting 6 to 8 diapers per day then he or she is getting enough breast milk or formula. Spitting up is often a common problem of premature babies after feedings. Be sure to talk to your doctor if your premature baby spits up a lot. He or she may not gain enough weight if this occurs.
Solid Food for Premature Babies
Four to six months after the baby's original due date (not the birth date) is usually the time doctors advise putting a premature baby on solid food. Putting premature babies on solid foods before this time could create a choking hazard. Premature babies need more time to develop their swallowing abilities. If the premature baby has medical problems, the doctor may prescribe a special diet.
Premature Babies Sleep Time
Premature babies usually sleep more hours each day than a full-term baby; however, they sleep for shorter periods of time and wake up more often. Put your premature baby to bed on its back, never on its stomach. Use firm mattresses and pillows. Sleeping on the stomach or on soft mattresses and pillows has been known to increase baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome (this is for full-term babies as well as the premature baby).
Common vision and hearing problems in premature babies include:
o Crossed eyes (or strabismus) are a problem that often goes away on its own as your baby grows up. You may be advised to see an eye doctor if your premature baby has crossed eyes.
o Retinopathy of prematurity usually occurs in babies born very early, at 32 weeks of pregnancy or earlier
o Hearing problems are more common in premature babies than in full-term babies. If you notice your premature baby does not hear well, discuss this with your doctor for further evaluations of premature baby's hearing. Check your premature baby's hearing by making noises behind or to the side of the baby. If your premature baby does not turn his or her head, or jump at a loud noise, tell your doctor.
Traveling with your premature baby in cars poses extra problems. Review the following information to help you transport your premature baby in a car safely:
o Select a car safety seat that fits your premature baby
o Do not use a car safety seat with a shield or tray
o Place rolled receiving blankets on both sides of your premature baby to center him or her in the car safety seat.
o Place a rolled diaper or washcloth between your premature baby's diaper area and the crotch strap to keep your baby from slipping down.
o Do not place the rolled diaper or receiving blankets behind or under the baby.
o Your premature baby may need to use a car bed that meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to allow babies to travel while lying down if he or she has any of the following while in a car safety seat:
1. A decrease in oxygen levels
2. Slow heart rate
3. Apnea (breathing stops for a moment or two)
Other reasons babies may need a car bed rather than a car seat includes:
o Problems with breathing when sitting upright or semi-reclined
o Decreased muscle control
o Bones that break easy
o Recent spine surgery
o Baby is wearing a cast
At this time car beds are designed for babies and not larger children. They vary in design. All car beds must be installed lengthwise with the baby's head toward the center of the car.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care professional.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.
© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved
Written by: Connie Limon Visit us at http://smalldogs2.com/BabyHealth for an extensive list of articles and resources all about baby health and taking care of babies. Visit us at Camelot Articles http://www.camelotarticles.com
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