Preemies, or infants born prematurely at less than 37 weeks gestation, have a high risk for feeding and growth problems, gastroesophageal reflux and other complications. Parents are faced with many challenges as they adjust to having a preemie,...
An infant incubator is a piece of equipment common to pediatric hospitals, birthing centers and neonatal intensive care units. While the unit may serve several specific functions, it is generally used to provide a safe and stable environment for...
Maternal use of methadone, a synthetic opioid, during pregnancy can cause the baby to go through withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms can occur in varying degrees. The severity of symptoms will vary depending on the amount of methadone the mother last...
One of the most memorable times of parents' lives is the birth of their child; however, not every birth results in a healthy newborn. The March of Dimes reports that a low APGAR score in a newborn indicates some type of trauma during childbirth....
With an intricate network of machines, tubes, lights, alarms and displays, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) delivers advanced medical care to very young and sick infants. Along with providing the infant's basic needs and necessary medical...
Premature births occur in one out of every eight pregnancies in the United States each year. According to the March of Dimes, premature babies are at increased risk of developing health problems such as cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, and...
Human beings -- from 3-week-old babies and toddlers to infants and adults -- go through development stages to adapt to their environments, understand what's going on around them, grow and learn the basics of social existence. Development is a...
A baby's milestones are an important part of parenting, providing insight into how fast or slow your baby grows and learns. There are cases where your baby may not be gaining weight as he should. A pediatrician visit can help you determine if...
Massage has many benefits for both full-term and premature infants. Humans need touch to thrive emotionally and physically and massage has special benefits to preterm infants, who might spend long periods of time in an isolette away from their...
Preterm infants are infants born before the 37th week of pregnancy, writes the American Family Physician. When the baby reaches a body weight of 4 lbs., 6 oz., or when she can maintain her own body temperature in an open crib, she is ready for...
Premature infants need special care for their first two years of life. Babies born extremely small, or less than three pounds, according to the Family Doctor website may need even more advanced care. Once you have your premature infant home,...
Some babies are born with eye conditions, or eye problems may develop shortly after delivery. Serious eye conditions are rare, however. Before going home from the hospital, the doctor will check the baby's eyes for normal appearance, proper...
A baby who is born prior to the 37th week of gestation is considered a premature baby, according to PubMed Health. Most premature babies spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU; however, some may be able to come home without...
Placenta Previa is a condition during pregnancy in which the placenta grows over part or all of your cervix. Placenta previa occurs in 1 out of 200 pregnancies, reports Medline Plus. It is more common in women who have had a previous C-section,...
A baby born before week thirty-two of a pregnancy is considered early preterm and when born at thirty-two to thirty-seven weeks is considered preterm, according to The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A baby born this early...
Preemies are infants born prior to the 37th week of gestation. They are characteristically small, weighing less than 5 1/2 lbs, and often spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit. Preemies may have some delays in reaching developmental...
Babies should always be put to sleep on their backs, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics "Back to Sleep" campaign. But once your baby is mobile, he may prefer to sleep on his tummy, and you might notice that when you go to him in the...
The 24th week of pregnancy is near the end of the second trimester. The baby moves around more than previous weeks. You can probably feel the movement at this stage. The baby continues rapid development within your womb. Though pre-term babies...
About 3 to 10 percent of all admissions to neonatal intensive care units have kidney failure according to researchers at Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University. Research on the incidence and management of kidney failure in...
Why some babies develop an omphalocele is not entirely understood. Consequently, there is no definite way to prevent one from occurring in your baby. That said, some research suggests that taking prenatal vitamins can significantly reduce your...
According to the American Diabetic Association, there are 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes per year. In diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin to properly metabolize glucose. The extra glucose that the mother produces crosses the...
If your baby is born prior to 38 weeks he is considered premature, or a preemie. Some women may deliver as early as 24 to 30 weeks of gestation. Their babies will spend many months in the neonatal intensive care unit. Generally, the earlier a baby...
Premature infants are babies who are born prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), as many as 10 percent of babies are born prematurely. Premature birth has many effects on infant health and...
Since babies with Pierre Robin syndrome almost always have cleft palates, it's important for parents to learn how to feed them correctly. In most cases, the nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit will demonstrate the correct feeding techniques...
Smoking and pregnancy do not mix. Smoking causes a variety of health risks to both mother and the unborn child. According to the Quitter Guide website, 20.7 million American women are smokers, and the pregnant women who smoke give birth to 20 to...
Premature infants are those born before 37 weeks of gestation. According to the Penn State Children's Hospital, premature infants, who are not fully developed when born, can have serious medical conditions, including breathing difficulty,...
Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition in which there is too much bilirubin in the blood. Most bilirubin comes from the normal breakdown of old red blood cells. Babies are not easily able to get rid of the bilirubin and it can build up in the blood,...
Platelets are cellular fragments within bone marrow and tissues that play an important role in stopping active bleeding. Neonatal thrombocytopenia refers to a low number of platelets in a baby's blood. According to the book, "Hematology: Basic...
As a parent, dealing with the news of an omphalocele diagnosis can be very difficult, whether you get it while pregnant or just after the birth of your baby. If you are still pregnant, at least you will have some time to come to terms with the...
