Normally, the premature baby stays in the neonatal ICU until he or she can breathe alone, has more than 2 gy developed the suction reflex. Therefore, the length of stay in the hospital may vary from baby to baby.
After this period, the premature baby can go home with the parents and be treated in the same way as babies born full-term. However, if the baby has a health problem, parents should tailor care according to the doctor’s instructions.
- During hospitalization in the neonatal ICU.
- The premature baby will undergo constant testing to make sure it develops correctly and to diagnose early problems that.
- When treated.
- Can be permanently cured.
- Therefore.
- Tests usually include:.
In addition to these tests, the premature baby is also physically evaluated every day, the most important parameters being weight, head size and height.
The preterm vaccination programme should only be initiated when the baby weighs more than 2 kg and therefore the BCG vaccine should be postponed until the baby reaches that weight.
However, in cases where the mother has hepatitis B, the pediatrician may decide to get vaccinated before the baby reaches 2 kg. In these cases, the vaccine should be divided into 4 doses instead of 3, taking the second and third doses one month apart and the fourth, six months after the second.
See more details about your baby’s vaccination schedule
Caring for a premature baby at home can be a challenge for parents, especially when the baby has a respiratory or developmental problem. However, most of the care is similar to that of full-term babies, and the most important ones are related to breathing, the risk of infection and diet.
During the first 6 months of life, there is a high risk of breathing problems, especially in premature babies, as the lungs are still developing. One of the most common problems is sudden death syndrome, which is caused by suffocation during sleep. To reduce this risk, you need to:
Also, if your baby has a respiratory problem of any kind, it’s important to follow instructions from your pediatrician or nurses to motherhood, which may include misting or nasal drops, for example.
The premature baby has more trouble keeping his body temperature under control and, as a result, can cool down quickly after bathing or get very hot when he or she has a lot of clothes, for example.
For example, it is recommended to keep the house at a temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius and dress the baby with several layers of clothing, so that it can be removed when the room temperature warms or add another layer of clothing, when the day gets colder.
Premature babies have an underdeveloped immune system and therefore, during the first few months, have an increased risk of infection. However, some precautions help reduce the risk of infection, including:
The best environment to avoid infections is to stay at home, as it is an easier environment to control. However, if it is necessary to leave, preference should be given to places with fewer people or at more empty times.
To properly feed the premature baby at home, parents usually receive instruction in the maternity ward, as it is common for the baby to be unable to breastfeed alone in the mother’s chest, needing to be fed by a small tube in a technique called relactation. See how the contact is established.
However, when the baby is already able to hold the mother’s breast, it can feed directly to the breast and, for this, it is important to develop a correct technique that helps the baby suck and prevent the development of problems within the mother. .