It is estimated that every year, according to the World Health Organization, 15 million premature babies are born in the world, that is, they are born before 37 weeks, and the earlier they are born, the greater the care and risks they run in the face of complications. that may arise in its development.
This is how our neonatologist pediatrician María Camila Reyes Escamilla explains it, who states that a premature baby is more exposed to different diseases. “First of all, that baby will be in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where she will receive interdisciplinary care in cardiology, nutrition, ophthalmology, pediatric neurology, among others. What we must do with them is to anticipate what the newborn may present ”, specifies the doctor Reyes Escamilla.
Similarly, the specialist reports that in recent years the cases of premature birth have increased, “the increase in pregnancies due to fertilization, advanced maternal age, diseases such as gestational diabetes and hypertension, are risk factors for premature births. These births are a challenge for us as pediatricians and for their families”, mentions Dr. María Camila.
Classification of premature babies
ends: born before 28 weeks of gestation.
Very premature: They are born between 28 and 33 weeks.
Late preterm: They are born between 34 and 36.7 weeks. At this stage they can be at home after the specialists have verified that they were born with a good weight and do not have difficulty breathing, or sucking and swallowing problems.
Data to take into account
- Two ages are taken into account in a premature baby: the chronologicalwhich is the date you were born and the corrected age is the one taken taking into account if he had been born at 40 weeks.
- The neurodevelopment of premature babies is measured with the corrected age.
- The vaccination scheme in the baby should be maintained by chronological age.
- We must encourage early initiation of prenatal care.
- The vaccination indicated in pregnancy must be complied with.
- In case of premature birth, it is best that these babies be born in a fourth-level hospital, which guarantees safety for the mother-child pair.
- After they are born they must be given all the support to prevent them from developing problems and if a premature birth occurs, guarantee specialized and immediate care.
recommendations
- Parents must be vaccinated, especially they must have the whooping cough and COVID-19 vaccine.
- Parents should go home with all the knowledge to care for the baby.
- Premature babies require strict control, which is why a pediatric assessment is recommended after they have left the Intensive Care Unit and admission to the Kangaroo Plan, a program that provides an interdisciplinary approach.
- Visits to newborns and especially premature infants should be limited due to the high risk of contagion of viral infections.
In our Institution we have the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, with highly qualified specialists, as well as state-of-the-art technology for the care of patients and their families.