If a baby is born before the 37th week of pregnancy, it is labelled preterm. Births between 37 and 38 weeks of pregnancy are considered early term, and births between 39 and 40 weeks are considered full term.
Premature infants may be classified into four primary groups:
- Extremely preterm: Babies born before 28 weeks
- Very preterm: Babies born between 28 weeks and 31 weeks, 6 days
- Moderately preterm: Babies born between 32 weeks and 33 weeks, 6 days
- Late preterm: Babies born between 34 and 36 weeks, 6 days
Weight at birth is another way to classify preterm newborns.
- Extremely low birth weight: Less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces (1 kg)
- Very low birth weight: Between 2 pounds, 3 ounces (1 kg) and 3 pounds, 4.9 ounces (1.5 kg)
- Low birth weight: Between 3 pounds, 5 ounces (1.5 kg) and 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2.5 kg)
Girl babies tend to be slightly smaller than boy babies, whenever they are born. Preterm babies, especially those born extremely early and those at the lowest birth weights, are at higher risk for health complications, disability, and death. However, medical advances mean preemies today have much higher odds of survival than in the past. With proper care, many preemie children go on to live full, healthy lives.
OUTLOOK FOR A BABY BORN AT 26 TO 28 WEEKS
- It is common for preemies to be delivered with very low weights.
- They have a distinct appearance from full-term newborns. You can see their blood vessels through their wrinkles and reddish-purple skin. Lanugo, a kind of silky hair, covers their whole body. Because they haven’t had a chance to gain weight, they seem skeletal.
- There is a good chance that their eyelids are shut and they lack eyelashes.
- There is minimal muscular tone and movement in most of these little newborns.
- In most cases, oxygen, surfactant, and mechanical assistance are necessary for breathing support.
- Intravenous feeding is the only option for these kids since they are too young to be able to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time.
- The majority of the day is spent sleeping since they are unable to scream (or you cannot hear them owing to the tube in their neck).
OUTLOOK FOR A BABY BORN AT 28 TO 32 WEEKS
- The appearance of very premature newborns is similar to that of babies born at a later stage, however they tend to be bigger.
- To breathe, the majority of patients need oxygen, surfactant, and mechanical assistance.
- Infants may be given breast milk or formula by feeding a tube into their nose or mouth, while some will need to be fed intravenously.
- Some of these infants are capable of crying. Although their motions may be choppy, they are able to move more freely.
- In order to turn their head, they must grab a finger.
- These infants can now open their eyes and remain awake for brief periods of time.
OUTLOOK FOR A BABY BORN AT 32 TO 33 WEEKS.
- These infants tend to be lighter and smaller than their full-term counterparts.
- They are capable of breathing on their own in certain cases, but most of the time, they need supplementary oxygen to do so.
- Occasionally, they can be nursed or fed from a bottle. A tube feeding may be necessary for persons who have difficulty breathing
OUTLOOK FOR A BABY BORN AT 34 TO JUST UNDER 37 WEEKS
- It’s possible for late preterm newborns to seem slimmer than full-term babies.
- Newborn health issues, including as breathing and feeding challenges, difficulty controlling body temperature, and jaundice, remain a concern for these newborns. In most cases, these issues are minor and the newborns recover quickly.
- A few of these infants may need tube feeding for a short period of time, but for the most part, they may be breastfed or bottle-fed.
- The ability to curl into a foetal posture develops approximately 35 weeks of gestation.
- When you hoist them, their grip is strong enough that they’ll hold on for the ride.
- These infants move with more fluidity and purpose.
- A few newborns at this age are able to put their hands into their mouths for sucking at this point.
- 35-week pregnancies have an average brain weight of 65 percent of full-term newborns, according to current estimates.
