What is the definition of premature babies?

We all know that women have to go through ten months of pregnancy before their babies can come into this world healthy. However, every woman is also very cautious during pregnancy. However, due to physical reasons and some other accidents, premature birth is particularly prone to occur. Premature birth has a great impact on the child, because the child is not yet fully developed and cannot fully adapt to the external environment. However, many mothers do not know when the baby has started to move month by month. This is considered normal and not a premature baby. Let's take a look at the definition of a premature baby.

Definition of premature baby

Live-born infants born before 37 weeks of gestation are called premature infants. Most of their birth weight is below 2500g and their head circumference is below 33cm. Their organ function and adaptability are worse than those of full-term infants, and premature infants should be given special care. Any baby whose birth weight is reduced to below the 10th percentile of normal weight for gestational age or two standard deviations below the mean due to factors such as placental insufficiency is called a small for gestational age baby (small for gestational age, poorly mature baby). Babies with a birth weight of less than 2500g are also called low-birth-weight babies, and those with a birth weight of less than 1500g are called very low-birth-weight babies, including premature babies and babies born small for gestational age.

prevention

1. Premature birth is the main cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and among the various causes of premature birth, most are maternal factors. Except for congenital reproductive malformations, most of them can be prevented through prenatal care.

2. Prenatal examinations should be given importance, especially early and appropriate perinatal care for those high-risk groups. For example, prevent and control pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, reduce the incidence of early placental abruption, provide early treatment after the discovery of placenta previa, and correct anemia. For pregnant women with heart disease, management should be strengthened, knowledge of pregnancy health care should be popularized, and preventive measures such as avoiding infection should be taken.

3. Use of labor release to prevent premature labor and provide adequate time for antenatal administration of glucocorticoids to promote lung maturation, etc.

The above is an introduction to the definition of premature babies. After understanding it, we know that babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered premature babies. Generally, premature babies have a relatively low weight, and their organs are not fully developed. Therefore, mothers must pay special attention during the entire pregnancy. First of all, they must get more rest. In addition, they must ensure a balanced diet. In the late stages of pregnancy, they must also go to the hospital regularly for prenatal checkups.