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Information About Premature Kids

As many as 11 percent of all babies born come into this world premature, according to BabyZone.com. There are serious health risks associated with a premature birth, but there are certain risk factors that can be controlled to avoid complications.

  1. Identification

    • A premature baby is an infant born prior to 37 weeks gestation. The gestation age is calculated based on the first day of the mother's last menstrual cycle to birth. A healthy gestation lasts for 40 weeks or 279 days.

    Considerations

    • Many premature births occur close to full term, which bodes well for the newborn's chances for a healthy life. The lower the gestational age, however, the higher the risk for complications. Babies who are born less than 32 weeks gestation are kept in the hospital for extended stays, and may require time in a special care nursery, according to BabyZone.com.

    Expert Insight

    • In 2005, 12.4 percent of babies were born prematurely in the U.S., according to a report released by the National Center for Health Statistics and cited in the New York Times. Also in the U.S., infant mortality prior to a baby's first birthday occurred in about seven of every 1,000 births in the same period, according to a report.

    Risk Factors

    • Women exhibiting certain behaviors are at a higher risk for delivering a premature infant. Some common risk factors include receiving late prenatal care or no care whatsoever, smoking, drinking alcohol and stress. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity in the mother, also increase the chances for a premature birth. Women in a certain age group--below 17 years or older than 35 years--are similarly at higher risk for delivering a premature baby, according to March of Dimes.

    Complications

    • Babies who are born in early gestation are at risk of complications ranging from extremely dangerous to manageable. Complications for the newborn may include difficulty breathing, episodes of stopped breathing, fluid accumulation in the brain and cerebral palsy. Other less-severe complications may include low blood pressure, jaundice and anemia, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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