Recently, a friend of mine had her baby girl four weeks early. She had so many questions for me about what to expect for her "premature" daughter. Some included: Will she "catch up" soon? Will she be shorter than her peers? Will she always be at risk for respiratory infections? Will she ever sleep through the night? and the list went on. Here is a link to provide basic information on prematurity:
Normal Growth And Development Of Premature Infants - Care Guide
At work, some of the babies I work with were born only slightly early such as at 34-35 weeks gestation whereas other babies were born as soon as 24-25 weeks gestation. Obviously, the preemies who were born under 1000 grams at 28 weeks or sooner have many more health problems than those born just a month early. But either way, it is smart for the child to have a thorough developmental assessment with a local early childhood intervention (ECI) program once the baby gets to go home. ECI can help with developmental needs including feeding, motor, communication, and other delays that may arise.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
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