Characteristics of premature babies

Premature birth has a very adverse effect on the baby's development, because premature birth causes the baby to not fully develop in the mother's body, and some tissues and organs are still in the formation stage. Delivery and birth at this time may put the premature baby's life in danger. In order to prevent premature birth and improve the survival rate of premature babies, women must have sufficient understanding of the phenomenon of premature birth. Let’s take a look at the characteristics of premature babies.

1. Appearance characteristics: The head is relatively larger, with a ratio of 1:3 to the body, a wide fontanelle, a soft skull, fluffy hair, soft nails, undescended or incompletely descended testicles in male babies, and the labia majora of female babies cannot cover the labia minora.

2. Respiratory system: Due to the immature development of the respiratory center and respiratory organs, the respiratory function is often unstable and some people may experience sleep apnea and cyanosis. Some premature babies may experience severe breathing difficulties and hypoxia due to low levels of pulmonary surfactant, which is called hyaline membrane disease, and is one of the common causes of death in premature babies.

3. Digestive system: The suction and swallowing reflexes are poor, the stomach capacity is small, and choking and milk regurgitation are prone to occur. The digestion and absorption abilities are weak, and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal distension are prone to occur. The liver function is immature, and physiological jaundice is severe and lasts for a long time. The liver stores little vitamin K, and the deficiency of various coagulation factors can easily lead to bleeding. In addition, premature infants have insufficient storage of other nutrients such as iron, vitamins A, D, E, sugar sources, etc., making them prone to anemia, rickets, hypoglycemia, etc.

4. Body temperature regulation: The body temperature center is immature, there is less subcutaneous fat, a large body surface area, less muscle activity, less self-heat production, and it is easier to dissipate heat. Therefore, hypothermia or even scleredema is often caused by the cold surrounding environment.

5. Nervous system: Various nerve reflexes are poor and the patient is often in a sleeping state. Premature infants weighing less than 1500 grams are also prone to intracranial hemorrhage and should be given special attention.

6. Immune function: Premature infants have poorer immune function than full-term infants. They have insufficient ability to kill and eliminate bacteria and viruses, and obtain less immunoglobulin from the mother. Due to their low resistance to infection, they are prone to sepsis and have a higher mortality rate.