Every family prepares for the birth of a baby with special trepidation. But it often happens that even with the observance of the doctor's recommendations and the careful behavior of the expectant mother, the child is born ahead of schedule.
Causes of a premature baby
A premature baby is not always born due to diseases of the mother, low social standard of living of the family or neglect of pregnancy. Often, early birth is facilitated by multiple pregnancies, when the twins are simply physically unable to develop fully, and for medical reasons, a planned or urgent caesarean section is performed.
Caring for a premature newborn has its own subtleties, which parents should definitely familiarize themselves with.
Optimal temperature in the premature baby's room
Premature babies are not only lightweight, they have very little subcutaneous fat, which helps the body maintain a normal temperature. Therefore, in the room where the child is, you need to carefully monitor the temperature regime.
The optimum temperature should be + 22-25 degrees, but this is if the child is dressed or lies under a blanket. If he is undressed, for example, takes air baths, then the temperature in the room should be + 27-32 degrees.
In this case, the room should be ventilated as often as possible, in winter - at least twice a day, and in the warm season - every 3-4 hours for 15 minutes. Occasionally, the attending physician may recommend additional heating for the child. To do this, it is best to use a rubber heating pad, or even better - several heating pads that need to be wrapped in diapers and placed at the baby's feet and on the sides. There is no need to lean the heating pad close to the body, the baby will feel the warmth emanating from it. The water in the heating pad should be no higher than 65 C.
Features of nutrition of premature babies
The opinion that the baby needs to be fed strictly at a certain time is erroneous. Any newborn baby, let alone a premature baby, needs to be fed at the slightest demand. So he will quickly gain the missing weight and soon catch up with his peers. The best food is breast milk.
The diet of a young mother should be as varied as possible, since the baby should receive all the necessary trace elements for growth and development through breast milk. Be sure to make sure that the menu does not include allergenic products, because a small child is prone to allergies like no other.
These products include:
- honey;
- chocolate;
- nuts;
- fatty food;
- smoked meats;
- citrus;
- spices, etc.
Walking with a premature baby
As with any infants, preterm babies benefit from walking. Up to a weight of 2 kg, pediatricians do not recommend taking a child outside even in summer, since any breeze or just a sudden change in temperature can be dangerous for the child, he is still too weak and prone to colds.
The very first walks should be done at an air temperature of +10 degrees and no longer than 10 minutes. These small walks should be done daily for the first week. Further, you should gradually increase the walking time by 10-20 minutes and bring the walking up to 1.5-2 hours.
In the cold season, when the air does not warm up above +8 degrees, you can start walking with your baby only when his weight reaches 3 kg.
The consequences of a premature baby can be very different, and only comprehensive care and attention will help to minimize all existing or emerging health and development problems.
