OverviewA premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby's estimated due date. In other words, a premature birth is one that occurs before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy. Show Premature babies, especially those born very early, often have complicated medical problems. Typically, complications of prematurity vary. But the earlier your baby is born, the higher the risk of complications. Depending on how early a baby is born, he or she may be:
Most premature births occur in the late preterm stage. SymptomsYour baby may have very mild symptoms of premature birth, or may have more-obvious complications. Some signs of prematurity include the following:
The following tables show the median birth weight, length and head circumference of premature babies at different gestational ages for each sex.
Special careIf you deliver a preterm baby, your baby will likely need a longer hospital stay in a special nursery unit at the hospital. Depending on how much care your baby requires, he or she may be admitted to an intermediate care nursery or the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Doctors and a specialized team with training in taking care of preterm babies will be available to help care for your baby. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Your baby may need extra help feeding, and adapting immediately after delivery. Your health care team can help you understand what is needed and what your baby's care plan will be. Risk factorsOften, the specific cause of premature birth isn't clear. However, there are known risk factors of premature delivery, including:
For unknown reasons, black women are more likely to experience premature birth than are women of other races. But premature birth can happen to anyone. In fact, many women who have a premature birth have no known risk factors. ComplicationsWhile not all premature babies experience complications, being born too early can cause short-term and long-term health problems. Generally, the earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk of complications. Birth weight plays an important role, too. Some problems may be apparent at birth, while others may not develop until later. Short-term complicationsIn the first weeks, the complications of premature birth may include:
Long-term complicationsIn the long term, premature birth may lead to the following complications:
PreventionAlthough the exact cause of preterm birth is often unknown, there are some things that can be done to help women — especially those who have an increased risk — to reduce their risk of preterm birth, including:
Can a baby come out at 26 weeks?Your Baby's Development at 26 Weeks
While your baby still has plenty of growing and maturing to do, advances in modern medicine give babies born at 26 weeks an excellent chance of survival. These babies are still extremely premature, but with specialized care in the NICU, survival rates are as high as 85%.
What's the earliest a baby can be born and survive?By the time you're 24 weeks pregnant, the baby has a chance of survival if they are born. Most babies born before this time cannot live because their lungs and other vital organs are not developed enough. The care that can now be given in baby (neonatal) units means more and more babies born early do survive.
How early can a baby be born without NICU?Any preemie that's born earlier than 34 weeks gestation should spend several weeks in the NICU. On average, doctors recommend preemies stay in the NICU until three to four weeks before what their regular due date would have been.
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