Premature births are defined as births that happen prior to 37 weeks of gestation. While the mortality rate of premature births has decreased in the past century, premature births are still a cause of major health problems, including jaundice, respiratory conditions and certain neurological complications. Probiotics administered to infants can potentially help preterm infants by lowering their mortality rates and decreasing the occurrence of other potentially harmful ailments.
Probiotics
Probiotics are small doses of "friendly bacteria" that are designed to trigger your body's immune system in an effort to help fight off infections and diseases. In a study carried out by the University of Western Australia, 2,000 babies were brought into a controlled experiment. Some were given probiotics, while others were not. With some types of probiotics, the survival rate nearly doubled. In addition, probiotics improve the immune system to a point where other ailments, such as jaundice, can be prevented.
Jaundice
Jaundice is a symptom of a disease that manifests itself as a yellow discoloration of your skin as well as your eyes due to an abnormal buildup of bilirubin in the blood. While jaundice typically occurs in adults due to liver problems, preterm infants often suffer from jaundice as a direct result of their weakened immune state brought on by their lack of development. While your doctor will lay out a way to treat your jaundiced baby, probiotics may be administered to help boost his immune system.
Dosing
Due to the relatively new use of probiotics to treat preterm infants, the proper dosage for your child varies greatly depending on his weight and the severity of the jaundice and other ailments that may be affecting him. Dosing probiotics is done with respect to the millions and billions of living cultures that exist in the probiotic. An average range for an infant is anywhere from 10 to 40 billion active cultures.
Caution
If your child is born prematurely and suffering from jaundice, it is important to consult your personal doctor or specialist to decide the best method of treatment. Administering probiotics without the consent of a doctor may result in further complications with regards to your child's health. While probiotics can help boost your child's immune system, antibiotics and other medicines may be administered by your doctor in order to help treat your child's jaundice.
