Premature Infancy

Premature babies, otherwise known as preterm babies, or preemies, are babies that
are born earlier than the full-term of thirty-eight to forty-two weeks of pregnancy. These babies are generally born between the twentieth and thirty-eighth week. Almost 250,000 babies, nearly seven percent of newborns, are premature. Prematurity, even with all the advances in technology, is still a major cause of fetal and neonatal death.
Actually, around seventy-five percent of perinatal deaths are due to a number of problems associated with prematurity. Premature babies are very weak and
defenseless, and need to be hospitalized. One reason for this is that a baby may become startled into shock by a loud sound or even bright light. This occurs because many babies have fully-developed senses and underdeveloped organs, which may become a problem, since the brain may not be developed well enough to be able to distinguish these different senses, which causes the baby to panic and lose control of its actions.
The main underdeveloped parts of a premature baby are its organs, chiefly the
lungs and the brain. The lungs are developed in the last few weeks of pregnancy, and if the child is born before the thirty sixth week, he/she may require some special attention. Usually, the child is monitored closely for the first few weeks of its life, in order to make sure there is no problems with the breathing or any other function of its body. The premature baby will probably need supplemental oxygen to help it through the early stages, but rarely will it need an actual respirator or other life-supporting device on a full-time twenty four hour basis. In fact, giving the baby too much oxygen may complicate problems, such as damages to the eyes. This is caused by a over-abundance of oxygen in the blood stream, which in turn causes the blood vessels of the eye to expand, damaging the eye. This problem is one of the main concerns when bearing a pre-term baby versus a full-term baby.

Babies- new technology for one of the oldest events

So much has changed with pregnancy management in the twenty years since I last gave birth. In the 1970's, the emphasis was on using nurse-midwives whenever possible, not using anything to kill pain, and breastfeeding. My first child was a "low-tech" birth, with just a shot of Novocaine for the episiotomy.

My second, and last child was a "high-tech" birth. I tried to do Lamaze again, but ended up having to have an emergency C-Section. I was not encouraged to breastfeed, but I did anyway. Couldn't believe that the hospital staff, including my doctor, was in favor of breast-binding, a practice I thought went out of favor in the 1950's! I had all kinds of drugs, and was put to sleep during the procedure.

When my daughter in law gave birth two years ago, it was more like back in the '70's. She did Lamaze and breastfed my grandson, with the help and support of the hospital personnel. Breastfed babies are at much lower risk for obesity, and are healthier due to the transmission of antibodies from mother to child.

Some Do's and Don'ts of Pregnancy

Well first of Congratulations since you are reading this I am assuming you’re pregnant or you know someone that is pregnant. There are definitely do's and don'ts during pregnancy but who is the expert. I am not saying I am an expert or no were near knowing everything about Pregnancy but I have had 2 children of my own and I can tell you what I did and didn't do.

Let me tell you when I found out I was pregnant I was so petrified I wouldn't know what to do so I started reading everything I could get a hold of. But that just got me more confused. So I just decided to go on basically my gut instincts. Fist of all I found asked family and friends of a good obstetrician. They gave me a list and finally I chose one.

You definitely want to have regular checkups with your ob doctor and have him prescribe you some pre natal vitamins. That is the best way to avoid complications on the most part. You also need plenty of rest and exercise. What I did with both my children is
I took daily naps and went for a walk everyday. Didn't really need them at first but as time goes on you will find you will get tired easily. Also You still need to watch your diet. Of course you will gain weight but you don't need to gain an extreme amount that makes it harder when it comes time for delivery.

With both of my children I quit smoking since smoking causes low birth weight and or premature labor in some cases. Also make sure you Check with your doctor about what prescription or non prescription drugs you can take (even aspirin). If you have an insect problem in your home avoid insecticides. Leave the home while someone else sprays. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Well this is some of the things you can and can’t do. As you can see it's not all that hard or scary when it comes to what’s doing right. Once you get use to the fact it can actually be kind of fun for both you and the dad. So enjoy the time you have alone together because once the baby comes look out.

Welcome To Club NewBorn

Hi friends,

Welcome to Club NewBorn! We are in the process of loading this site up with as much information as possible regarding pregnancy and new born babies. We are not doctors or nurses so please seek professional help in your area. We are using this site to compile as much information as we can find to help pregnant women and new mothers learn more.

Of course like I said, we are not professionals, and the information on this site is meant only for us to study and learn more so please make sure you ask for professional help from a doctor in your area before trying anything you might read here. We want you and your baby to be safe!

Many pregnant women don't know what to expect. While others have had a few children and can share valuable insights into pregnancy and new born baby care. We will be searching a lot of information in the hopes that we can compile a valuable resource of pregnancy and baby related information.

Wishing you and your baby well,
Club NewBorn