An infant is considered premature if it's born before 37 weeks of gestation, regardless of birth weight. Immediately after the baby is born, a thorough physical assessment is performed to determine the newborn's health. Some developmental problems can be detected immediately, and some may not be evident until later. A few are mentioned below, but other problems include speech delays, mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Early detection of any problem is essential so the appropriate treatment can be started.
Vision Problems
Vision problems are common in children born before 37 weeks because the retina in the eye is underdeveloped. As the retina grows, the blood vessels that nourish it can begin to grow abnormally causing retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP. A study by a team of Swedish researchers at Uppsala University Hospital found that "Children born prematurely have a significantly higher risk of becoming afflicted with eye disorders than their peers who have been delivered at term. Among vision disorders developed by preemies, the most common are astigmatism and anisometropia."
Astigmatism is a disorder of the eye that occurs because the cornea is shaped irregularly. This irregularity causes vision to be blurry at all distances. Astigmatism can be treated with corrective lenses or surgery.
Anisometropia is a disorder in which the eyes have unequal visual capabilities. For example, one eye may be nearsighted, while the other is farsighted. Double vision can occur in extreme cases. Corrective lenses can correct anisometropia, as well as surgery in severe cases.
Growth
Premature infants are often born with a decreased ability to suck and swallow like full-term infants. This inability may lead to less intake of breast milk or formula, slowing a baby's weight gain. This delay in weight gain, also known as failure to thrive (FTT), can affect other parts of a baby's development including brain growth, motor skills and social development. Some infants who are FTT have tubes inserted through the nose or mouth in which formula or breast milk can be administered without the baby having to suck and swallow to receive nourishment. This helps him gain weight appropriately and strengthens his ability to feed on his own in the future.
Motor Delays
Motor delays in premature infants are common. Delays can affect both gross motor (large muscles) and fine motor (small muscles). Some delays may resolve on their own while others may continue long-term. The reason for motor delays is complex, but centers around the premature infant's brain. The brain of a preterm baby is susceptible to injury from lack of oxygen, birth trauma and bleeding in the brain. The parts of the brain that control motor functioning can be easily damaged, causing impairment and delays. Motor delays can affect a child's ability to grasp an object, focus and follow an object with the eyes, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand and walk. Most children will show motor delays for at least the first year of life and slowly catch up over time. Sometimes physical and occupational therapy may be needed to help a child overcome more severe delays.
References
- "Maternal-Infant Nursing Care"; Elizabeth Jean Dickason, RN, MA, MEd, Bonnie Land Silverman, RNC, MS, NNP, Martha Olsen Schult, RN, MA; 1994
- Sheena L. Carter, PhD; Assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Emory School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia
- Softpedia; "Later Vision Problems Common among Preemies"; Alesxandra Lupu; November 2006
