PREMATURE BABY

1.DEFINITION
A premature baby is one born after 28weeks
and before 37weeks of pregnancy. At this
period the child is therefore not fully developed
because of curtailed (shortened) gestation. Low
birth weight or both. After 37 weeks, it is
believed that the baby is Mature enough to live.
The weight indicator i.e. below 25kg
therefore was formerly used to describe a
premature baby. It is no longer the case now
because children of diabetic mothers may
weigh even more than 2.5kg before 28weeks,
whereas children from malnourished mothers
may weigh less than 2.5 even at term. The
upbringing of a premature baby requires
intensive care and adapted techniques.
2.Causes/aetiology
 Incidence
 Uterine origin (uterine malformation)
  State of the fertilized ovum
 Induced premature labour
 State of health of the mother
Other causes such as; severe anemia,
malnutrition, very close pregnancy
intervals, grand multiparity and low socio-
economic state of the family especially the
mother’s educational level.
3.Signs and symptoms of premature baby
 It presents with a small body weight
usually less than 2.5kg
 The baby looks fragile, weak, and the
skin is reddish and loose because of lack of
subcutaneous fat
 The skull bones are soft and the head
circumference is less than 30cm
 The fontanelles and the sutures are er
wide apart
 The nails do not reach the end of the
fingers
 In the males the testes are not found in
the scrotum