Low birthweight babies
In general, any baby weighing less than 2kg (4 ½ lb) at birth is probably smaller than he should be and may need special care. About four to eight per cent of all babies have low birthweights. Of these, two-thirds are preterm - born before their due date - and one-third are small for dates.
Preterm babies
© DK
The pace of an unborn baby's development is geared to his being born at full term (40 weeks from your LMP). If, for any reason, he is born a few weeks or more before full term, he may not yet be ready for life in the outside world. A baby born before week 37 is said to be preterm or premature. Depending on how premature he is, he'll need the help of a special care baby unit or a neonatal intensive care unit.
Small-for-dates babies
A baby is “small for dates” if he weighs less than expected for the number of weeks that have passed since he was conceived. A small-for-dates baby is usually a full-term baby who's very small at birth. These babies may present different problems of care after the birth from a premature baby. Babies who are only three or four weeks premature and low birthweight full-term babies, who are otherwise well and feeding properly, can usually stay on the postnatal ward with their mothers, or in a so-called “transitional care” nursery where their progress will be more closely monitored than normal.
Health risks
A premature baby born before 37 weeks faces a number of health risks that don't usually affect a full-term infant, as well as more common ones such as jaundice. If his internal organs are underdeveloped, for example, he may have difficulty breathing, regulating his body temperature, and feeding; he'll also be very vulnerable to infection. He may also have a low blood-sugar level (hypoglycaemia), which can cause brain damage if untreated, and he may need iron or calcium supplements if he lacks these essential minerals.
Posted 30.06.2010
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