November 17th is celebrated worldwide as WORLD PREMATURITY DAY.
Preterm babies or premature babies are those who are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. It is a challenging task dor the family to care for these babies.
One in ten babies is born prematurely worldwide.
Causes of preterm - The mother could be suffering from high blood pressure, unhealthy placenta, uterus abnormality, infections, poor nutrition, alcohol consumption, smoking, twins, more water around baby called polyhydramnios, diabetic, age of mother more than 35 or less than 19 years.
Premature babies need special care after birth. They may need a NICU admission. Due to advancement of medical science more babies who weigh 800 gms or more are surviving.
Common health problems in preterm baby - Jaundice of newborn, respiration problems, Need for surfactant in extreme preterm, Infections, Anemia and longterm problems should also be kept in mind.
Family support is very important in caring for a preterm baby.
Proper care and monitoring in pregnancy is important to reduce incidence of preterm births.
We in India celebrate newborn care week from 15th to 21st of November...
Healthy children...healthy citizens..