Getting to Know Your Preterm Baby

A few weeks ago, Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) Chair of Obstetrics Dr. Dalice Marriott shared with us her tips for avoiding preterm labor during pregnancy. But, as she pointed out, it can be hard to tell why preterm labor happens. So, what should you do if your little one arrives a little early? How is your baby different from a full-term baby? How can you keep track of their development? Dr. Marriott explains.

How will preterm labor affect the baby and the mother?

In terms of affect, the burden, in a sense, will be placed on the baby. When the child is delivered too early, there are a lot of potential complications:

Difficulty breathing

The lungs really need the time inside the womb in order to develop. So this would be a number one thing for us to think of because if you can’t breathe, you can’t live.

Brain development issues

In particular, the vessels in the brain are very fragile, so they easily bleed, and that could result in developmental problems.

Feeding problems

Because the response of sucking actually does not develop around until 32 weeks, we have to give preterm babies food directly into their stomach through a tube. Sometimes, we have to feed them into their bloodstream.

Increased risk of infection

This is because they are so little and they are fighting so hard for everything, which could be a potential issue.

Eye problems

Some preterm babies have to receive eye surgery or wear glasses.

Problems maintaining body temperature

We have to keep them warm by putting them in incubators. 

Are preterm babies more likely to have jaundice?

It depends on when they are born. For example, babies born before 24 weeks all have jaundice because their livers do not work at that time. But jaundice develops in full-term babies as well, as it is not an uncommon thing. However, preterm babies would have a higher risk of developing jaundice. Medicine has done well in treating jaundice, so, the most important thing is for the doctors to recognize whether the baby has jaundice or not and do the right thing.

A lot of moms like to compare their babies to a milestone standard. For instance, how tall and heavy should a six-month-old baby be? When will my baby start walking? And so on. Are these milestones applicable to preterm babies?

I would suggest you use an adjusted growth curve. For growth and weight, you actually plot them by their due date, not by their age in months. This is called corrected developmental age. So, if your four-month-old baby is born two months early, you should consider their corrected age as two months old.

Also, all babies should be compared against themselves and not with somebody else because everybody grows slightly different. If the baby is staying on his/her own curve and not falling off the curve, it is fine. It is just that you would need a couple of months to have some points to know where they are going to be on their curves.

How do we evaluate the development of a preterm baby?

For all preterm babies, it is not until five years old that we could have a better understanding of the babies’ development and how the early delivery affected the child.

In addition, the earlier the baby is born, the more likely that prematurity could have an impact on the brain development, which would later result in the neurological issues such as speech, motor, and learning skills. For example, the baby might crawl later or speak later, etc. However, even though premature babies might have delays in development, if you are giving them enough time and what they need to get better, they can grow up to lead normal lives.

How would you comfort mothers that are anxious about the development of their preterm babies?

I have this discussion on a regular basis with many moms. You have to take every day as a step towards the baby being able to go home. Some days are harder than others because there will be complications for the baby to overcome. I would reach out to other families with premature babies and discuss the obstacles as well as share the progress of the baby. Once the baby goes home, it’s important to look at the small things. For example, if the baby has wet diapers multiple times a day, eats regularly, and is gaining weight, then the baby is fine. It is not a specific point or weight that your baby has to meet.

Dr. Dalice Marriott is BJU's Chair of Obstetrics. She is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a member of the American Medical Association and an American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fellow. If you have more questions or concerns about preterm labor, call our 24-hour hotline on 4008 919191 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Marriott. 

• Missed Dr. Marriott's tips for preventing preterm labor? Get all caught up here.

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