Premature babies
Jennifer Howze
Editorial DirectorAround one in 13 babies is born prematurely – before 37 weeks – and many of these premature births happen for no apparent reason. If your baby is born preterm, they may need special care.
What is premature birth?
At 37 weeks, your pregnancy is ‘full term’. If your baby is born before this time, they are regarded as premature.
There are 3 different categories of preterm birth:
- Moderate preterm: born between 32 and 37 weeks
- Very preterm: born between 28 and 32 weeks
- Extremely preterm: born before 28 weeks
Most premature babies arrive after 32 weeks and have a good chance of growing up to be healthy.
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However, the earlier your baby is born, the higher the risk of complications.
What causes premature birth?
Many premature births happen for no apparent reason, and often with little or no warning. Indeed, in around 40% of preterm births, the cause is not known.
Yet there are a few known causes of premature births. These include:
Pre-eclampsia
This is a condition that causes high blood pressure in the mother.
If the baby isn’t delivered promptly, the mum’s life can be at risk, so labour is often induced prematurely.
An emergency
Your baby could be delivered early if you have an emergency - for example your waters breaking early, a placental abruption or an infection.
Multiple pregnancy
Twins and multiples have a much higher chance of being born prematurely.
According to the NHS, the average delivery date for twins is 37 weeks and 33 weeks for triplets.
According to Bliss, the charity for premature and sick babies and their families, there is evidence that the following could also be risk factors for premature birth:
- Smoking
- Drinking
- Stress
- Substance abuse
- Low or high maternal age
- Infection
- Previous premature birth
Can premature labour be stopped?
Generally if you’re over 35 weeks pregnant, doctor are likely to allow the birth to go ahead. This is also the case if you or your baby are in any danger.
If you are less than 35 weeks pregnant and going into premature labour, you could be given corticosteroid injections to help mature your baby’s lungs. This can reduce the risk of your baby having breathing difficulties after birth.
These usually work within 24 hours. To give the corticosteroids time to help your baby develop, you might also be given drugs to slow down your labour.
These drugs usually delay the birth by a day or two and give doctors time to transfer you to a hospital with the specialist facilities you and your baby need.
How will being born early affect your baby?
Babies who arrive prematurely usually need to spend time in a Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
There, they can be kept warm, have support with their breathing and be treated for infections and other complications.
These can range from mild to severe and could include:
- hypothermia
- jaundice
- chronic lung disease
- breathing difficulties
- anaemia
Although some premature babies have a fight to survive, their chances improve with every day that passes.
Depending on how prematurely your baby was born, they might look quite different to how you imagined your newborn would look.
They may have be covered in fine body hair called lanugo or have no eyelashes. However, as your baby grows their appearance will change.
Caring for your premature baby
Seeing your baby in the SCBU in an incubator or on a breathing machine can be difficult, but rest assured they are getting the best possible care.
Feeding your baby
If your baby is too small to feed themselves, you may be asked to express some breast milk.
This can then be given to your baby through a tube from their nose or mouth into their stomach. You can also express milk for the SCBU nurses to give your baby when you go home.
Bonding with your baby
The amount you can do may be limited if your baby is very small or very sick. You may just be able to touch them through the holes in the incubator at first.
If your baby is well enough, you might be able to lift them out of their incubator and hold them. Skin-to-skin contact, or ‘kangaroo care’, is encouraged as it helps with bonding, calms and soothes your baby and can even help regulate their heart rate.
You should have unlimited access to the SCBU so you can spend as much time with your baby as you like.
Need more help?
The Children's Air Ambulance help transfer premature babies and their parents to hospitals all over the UK. They have specialist teams and incubators onboard their helicopters to give each baby the best chance of care.
Find out more about The Children's Air Ambulance – and how to support them in their incredible work – here.
You can also visit Bliss, the charity for premature and sick babies and their families, or check out our dedicated Coffeehouse forum, providing a place for parents, families or carers of babies born prematurely or sick to share advice and support.
Many parents share photographs of their premature babies when they are grown up to show how well they are doing ... and as a way of offering hope and support to other parents.
If you've had a premature baby take a look, or even share your own photographs.
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