During a pregnancy, the baby grows in the mother's uterus (womb) usually for 38 to 40 weeks. When a baby is born prematurely (too early), the baby may require special medical care. The level of extra care needed often depends on how early the birth occurs. Premature babies weigh much less than full-term infants because they have not had the full amount of time for growth inside the uterus.
Babies born very early in pregnancy are extremely small and fragile. They may weigh less than 2 pounds. They require specialized intensive care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Doctors and nurses who work in NICUs have specialized education to care for premature infants and their problems. Equipment in a NICU, such as incubators and ventilators, is made especially for premature infants and their special needs. Health problems for babies who are born prematurely may not end when the baby goes home from the hospital. They may need special medical care as they grow older.
The February 12, 2003, issue of JAMA includes an article about children who were born prematurely.
Grahic Jump Location
Inability to breathe or breathe regularly on their own, possibly requiring oxygen and a ventilator
Bradycardia (low heart rate)
Body temperature regulation (the baby cannot maintain his or her own body heat)
Feeding and growth problems because of an immature digestive system
Jaundice (yellowing of skin and possible brain damage due to buildup of bilirubin, a blood breakdown product)
Anemia (not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues)
Infections
Apnea, episodes of stopping breathing, which may require special monitoring, even at home
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disease that may or may not improve as the child grows
Hearing or vision problems related to immature nerves or treatment side effects
Developmental delay and learning disabilities from brain damage related to immaturity
Because premature babies can be very ill, especially extremely premature infants, decisions about treatments can be difficult for parents, doctors, and nurses. Medical research studies provide information about treatments and the likely course of an illness, but they cannot predict how each baby will recover from being born too early. Preventing premature birth is important. Regular prenatal (before birth) medical care, avoiding any exposure to tobacco smoke, avoiding alcohol and illegal substances, and control of chronic medical problems are all ways that women can help maintain a healthy pregnancy to the full term.
American Academy of Pediatrics 847/434-4000 www.aap.org
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 800/370-2943 www.nichd.nih.gov
Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media www.kidshealth.org
To find this and previous JAMA Patient Pages, go to the Patient Page Index on JAMA 's Web site at www.jama.com. They are available in English and Spanish. A Patient Page on high-risk infants was published in the October 25, 2000, issue; one on low birth weight was published in the January 9, 2002, issue; and one on delivering a healthy infant was published in the March 27, 2002, issue.
The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA . The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. Any other print or online reproduction is subject to AMA approval. To purchase bulk reprints, call 718/946-7424.
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Nemours Foundation (KidsHealth)
Keyword: CHILD HEALTH
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
Instructions
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discretion of the Journal of American Medical Association editors. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest* Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers’ bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Register and get free email Table of Contents alerts, saved searches, PowerPoint downloads, CME quizzes, and more
Subscribe for full-text access to content from 1998 forward and a host of useful features
Activate your current subscription (AMA members and current subscribers)
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
Users' Guides to the Medical Literature Table 9.2-2 Refuted Evidence From Studies of Physiologic or Surrogate Endpoints
All results at JAMAevidence.com >
and access these and other features:
Register Now
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a reminder to the email address on record.
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.