Every mother dreams that her pregnancy proceeds without pathologies and that her baby is born on time. However, there are often cases when, for a number of reasons, birth occurs ahead of schedule. What could this mean for a child? How to cope with the problems that await your mother premature baby? Can these problems be avoided? The development and health of premature babies is the topic of conversation for today.

6 160953

Photo gallery: Development and health of premature babies

A child weighing less than 2.5 kg at birth is considered premature. The World Health Organization defines preterm babies as those born before 37 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. A premature baby with a birth weight of less than 1.5 kg is considered low birth weight. Recently a category was added for extremely low body weight, which is less than 1 kg. Previously, children with such weight simply did not survive.

Two distinct problems can be identified in young premature babies. One of them is the child’s unpreparedness for life outside the uterus - underdevelopment of organs, unformed tissues. Another problem is light weight, which represents a delay in the further development of the child. The first type of babies subsequently have a big problem with feeding - they do not want to eat, they should be constantly encouraged, while the latter children are always hungry and insatiable, and have an excellent appetite. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to give birth to a low birth weight baby prematurely.

Risk factors for preterm birth

There are several risk factors for preterm birth:

Caesarean section used for severe adverse internal conditions of the fetus. This may include pre-eclampsia or placental abruption. The decisions that must be made are first and foremost an assessment of the circumstances and maturity of the child and the answer to the question: "Which environment is safest for the child - outside or inside the womb?" It's simply a matter of balancing risks.

Several pregnancies in a row often lead to premature birth, especially if it is a multiple pregnancy. This may provoke premature birth, since here the maximum enlargement of the uterus occurs.

The classic case is insufficient development of the cervix not earlier, pregnancy with premature rupture of the membranes and, at the beginning, painless distension of the cervix. Typically this causes rupture of the muscle fibers of the cervix. This is dangerous for the mother. For the child, it bears all the risks associated with the development and health of premature babies.

Low socioeconomic status, lack of or inadequate care during pregnancy and poor maternal nutrition all predispose to preterm birth. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are also risk factors.

Quitting heroin or tapering off methadone too quickly in the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to premature birth. Women who abuse drugs before pregnancy must strictly adhere to a special methadone reduction regimen. This cannot be done quickly - it will simply kill your child! Cocaine can also lead to premature birth. It creates a compression effect in the uterus, which can have a devastating effect on the functions of the placenta.

Low birth weight babies are usually born to women under 17 or over 35 years of age.

Bacterial vaginosis predisposes to the birth of premature babies.

Distinctive features of the development of premature babies

A prematurely born child seems a little “out of place” in external conditions. A baby born prematurely most often has very little subcutaneous fat and his skin appears wrinkled. Premature baby faces many problems, which are even more pronounced in the case of fetal growth retardation.

Hypothermia is a major risk factor, especially if the child has little subcutaneous fat. A premature baby has difficulty regulating its body temperature. It freezes more easily or, conversely, overheats.

Hypoglycemia is also a risk, especially for very young, developmentally delayed children. They may also experience hypocalcemia. Both conditions can cause seizures, which in turn can lead to long-term brain damage.

The earlier a baby is born to term, the greater the risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome. Taking steroids before birth by the mother may reduce the risk, but it is still real. If the baby needs oxygen, you need to carefully monitor it, because if the level is too high, the premature baby is prone to fibroplasia and blindness.

Premature babies are susceptible to jaundice. Their liver requires special care and development conditions. First of all, special nutrition. Premature babies are also at high risk of infection and accumulation of pus in the intestines. They are susceptible to intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage with serious consequences in the future.

Neonatologists face similar problems all the time. The saddest thing is that even when the child is finally discharged from the hospital and goes home with his mother, the problems do not end there. Often, they are just beginning. Premature birth never leaves a child without a trace. The only question is how severe the defeat is and how much effort will need to be made to adapt the child to the outside world. Sometimes premature babies, despite all the efforts expended by specialists, do not catch up with their peers born on time in terms of development and health.

Support for parents

When a child is in a specialized ward for premature babies, this is a very emotional and traumatic period for both the mother and the whole family. You should encourage and support each other, and stay close to your child as much as possible. Breastfeeding is very difficult, but it should also be supported as much as possible. Breast milk is the best food for any baby, especially one born prematurely. Mothers who produce more milk than the baby needs should be encouraged to produce more milk. As your baby gains weight, he will eat better and need more milk.

The child is tied to monitors and tubes protruding from his body. It's scary, but you have to stay calm. Believe me, the child feels everything. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to hold your baby in your arms, but this should be encouraged at least occasionally. While trying to remain optimistic, parents must also get used to the possibility that the child may die. You must be prepared to make difficult decisions about your child's future quality of life if he or she survives. Doctors are not always correct when communicating with parents, and sometimes it is very difficult to immediately accept the facts told to them at such an emotional moment. You can discuss your situation with someone you know well and trust. It is advisable that he be good specialist or could recommend someone to you.

Immunization

Premature babies should be protected through immunization like all other babies. The fact of premature birth is not a contraindication for vaccination, even if the immune system underdeveloped. The timing for immunization is based on the child's chronological age from birth, not the expected age if the child were born at full term.

Future problems withdevelopment and health of premature babies

Figures regarding the results of the study of preterm infants should be interpreted with caution to ensure that similar cases are being compared. The percentages must be calculated very carefully. It is clear that the more prematurely a child is born, the greater the risk of death or disability for those who survive. There is a gradation of risk. If your baby is premature and low birth weight, another risk is automatically added.

The study shows that 300 babies born before 26 weeks of gestation or earlier survived birth and were admitted to neonatal wards. Of these, only 30 children were recorded as completely normal. The rest either died before the age of two or remained severely disabled for the rest of their lives. Babies born before 26 weeks of pregnancy have approximately a 12% chance of surviving to two years of age. A slightly smaller percentage of children survive with a significant degree of disability.

Vision and hearing

Serious problems such as cerebral palsy, blindness and deafness can affect 10% to 15% of extremely premature babies. One in four infants weighing less than 1.5 kg has peripheral or central hearing loss, or both.

Birth weight below 1.5 kg, as well as birth before 33 weeks of pregnancy, lead to the risk of developing refractive errors and strabismus. And there is still no official policy for the follow-up treatment and care of such children. Although most critically premature babies develop retinopathy, serious damage is relatively rare. According to the study, 66% of children weighing up to 1.25 kg were susceptible to retinopathy, but only 18% reached stage three, and only 6% required treatment.

Intelligence

The study looked at the development of 1,000 babies who were born at least 15 weeks premature (25 weeks gestation or less) during the first 10 months of 2009. Of these, 308 children survived, and 241 underwent formal psychological testing using standard cognitive, language, phonetic and speech tests capable of assessing their future achievements in school. Of these, 40% of children had moderate to severe learning difficulties (with boys being approximately twice as likely to be affected as girls). The percentage of severe, moderate and mild disabilities is 22%, 24% and 34%. Complete cerebral palsy was found in 30 children, representing 12%. Among them were also children with severe forms of disability that developed before the age of 30 months. Overall, 86% of surviving children had a range of moderate to severe impairments by age 6 years.

According to another study, critically premature infants mental capacity over time they only get worse, not better. Experts compared children aged 8 to 15 years and found that their IQ dropped by an average of 104 to 95 percentage points, and the number of children needing extra activities increased by 24%. The results show that between the ages of 8 and 15 years there was an actual decline in the development of nerve cells in premature infants.

Psychomotor and behavioral problems

Studies of 7- and 8-year-old children who were born before 32 weeks have shown that they are developmentally sufficient to attend secondary school. However, problems may have been hidden, so a wider range of tests was used. Loss of mobility, a major problem in premature infants, was the most common. This had an impact on their success at school, mostly negative. More than 30% of these children suffered from developmental coordination disorders compared to their classmates. Premature children are much more active, they are easily distracted, they are impulsive, disorganized, and chaotic. Hyperactivity due to lack of attention was found in 49% of premature infants.

Brain Development

Growth retardation in utero may be important for early development brain, which in turn leads to low IQ and delayed skill development. For children born before 33 weeks of gestation, it is common to experience a significant reduction in brain volume and an exceptional increase in skull size during adolescence.

Emotional development and puberty

Survey of adolescents in secondary schools who were born before 29 weeks of pregnancy found that these children had more emotional problems, problems with concentration and relationships with other children. They, according to teachers and parents, are more “squeezed” and lag behind in terms of puberty. Despite these problems, they do not show any more serious disorders behaviors such as suicidality, drug use, or depression.

A study of premature children aged 19 to 22 years showed that on average they have lower growth rates than their peers, they are more likely to get sick and are less likely to enroll in higher education.

The safest place for a child to develop is the womb. And it is important to try by all means to prevent premature birth and the complications inherent in any premature birth. There are situations where the intrauterine environment is so unfavorable that the baby would be safer outside. However, such situations are rare. Postpartum care is also very important. Social problems, poor maternal nutrition, and alcohol and drug use are the most common risk factors. Smoking should be stopped and alcohol consumption should be kept in very moderation as there is no safe lower limit for it. Should be in the foreground healthy image life. Only in this way the likelihood of being born prematurely is reduced significantly.

All babies born between 28 and 37 weeks are considered premature. Parents of seven-month and eight-month-old babies are naturally worried about how to properly care for the baby, feed him, and what kind of rehabilitation he needs to carry out so that in the future the seven-month-old baby does not lag behind in development and has normal health. You need to understand that all children born at 7-8 months require special, quite difficult, but quite doable, competent care. Medical patronage, comprehensive and regular monitoring, as well as professional counseling for such babies, combined with the sincere desire of parents to help their child, significantly reduce the resonance of premature birth. Of course, birth at 7 months changes the beginning of the child's development, but it will take a little time and proper care all differences between such a baby in comparison with those born on time will definitely become a thing of the past.

Description

The fetus at 7 months is almost completely formed, which allows it to live outside the womb of the mother. However, his organs are not yet fully developed, and his life support systems are not yet functioning at full capacity. At this time, only the baby’s stomach and intestines are fully formed. His kidneys are almost fully developed, but they begin to work only when the child is born. Also during this period, the baby’s lungs are actively developing. By the age of 7 months, the fetus almost completely occupies all the free space available in the mother’s uterus. The head of a seven-month-old baby is proportional to the body; this period is the peak moment in the development of the cerebral cortex. Seven month old baby may already react to pain in the same way as an adult, i.e. fully term fetus. In addition, a child at 7 months can already taste food.

The skin of a seven-month-old baby is still wrinkled and reddish, however, adipose tissue is already developing under it with might and main. At this stage of pregnancy, the fetal brain increases in size. The child creates nerve connections, i.e. its nerve cells are switched on to full function.

Reasons for the birth of seven-month-old children

It is quite difficult to determine the exact cause of the birth of children at 7 months, because in most cases it is not isolated, but complex. However, gynecologists and obstetricians who have been practicing for decades have identified some basic prerequisites for this. The reasons for the birth of seven-month-old children can be both clinical and biological, as well as socio-economic factors. The main causes of premature birth on the mother's side are:

• Inappropriate living conditions for a woman expecting a child - her failure to seek medical care in a timely manner is incorrect balanced diet her nutrition, lack of normal living conditions;
• harmful/hard work - a pregnant woman must remember that, according to labor code our country, she has every right to turn to her superiors and ask to be transferred to lighter work;
• Habits dangerous to the health of a pregnant woman and her fetus - smoking, alcohol abuse, especially her use of drugs;
• too much late pregnancy or the age of the expectant mother is too young;
• the pregnant woman has had spontaneous or medical abortions in the past;
• various clinical factors, including chronic diseases expectant mother;
• problems in the endocrine system of a pregnant woman;
• constant nervous shocks.

In addition to the above, there are also factors for premature birth from the fetus - these include genetic or chromosomal pathologies, as well as an immunological conflict between the fetus and the mother’s body.

Photo

What is the normal weight for a seven month old baby?

According to modern experts in obstetrics and gynecology, the normal weight of a seven-month-old baby should be 1.5 kilograms, and its body length should be 41 cm.

In general, all those children who are born between 28-37 weeks weigh no more than 2.5 kilograms. Despite the norms, a seven-month-old baby can have completely different weights within these limits - it depends on many factors. Modern experts classify four levels of prematurity for a child born prematurely. It is imperative to take into account that the care and development of such babies must occur in accordance with the specific level to which he belongs in terms of his birth weight:

• Level I: 2000-2500 grams;
• Level II: 2000-1500 grams;
• Level III: 1500-1000 grams;
• Level IV: less than 1000 grams.

Nutrition for a seven month old baby

Seven-month-old babies naturally have a lower body weight compared to those born at full term. Accordingly, the body of such children should develop at a faster pace. But on the other hand, seven-month-old babies have an immature digestive system. In addition, their swallowing and sucking reflexes are not sufficiently developed.

In addition, an obstacle to the normal functioning of the digestive system is insufficient production of saliva - this is quite typical for seven-month-old babies. Also, the stomach capacity of a premature baby is less than that of children born at term - accordingly, they burp much more often. In addition, due to reduced secretion of gastric juice, breast milk is not fully digested by the child.

Some modern maternity hospitals practice complementary feeding of seven-month-old babies artificial mixtures. You should discuss this issue with your pediatrician in advance. But when deciding how to feed a seven-month-old baby, his mother needs to remember that the most complete and healthy nutrition is her breast milk!

Therefore, the mother of a seven-month-old child should try to maintain breastfeeding with all possible ways. Even if the baby was born extremely weak and cannot eat on his own, but is fed through a tube, it is still possible to feed him with expressed breast milk.

When can I be picked up from the hospital?

It should be noted that at birth, at any stage, absolutely all babies lose weight. It is clear that this is much more noticeable when the child is born prematurely. A seven-month-old baby may lose about 15% of its body weight at birth. Weight loss seriously affects the body's thermoregulation, so such a child needs special heating conditions. For these purposes, today maternity hospitals use the incubator method, which is quite effective because it makes it possible to create absolutely those physiological conditions that are necessary for the life and normal development of a seven-month-old child.

Of course, a pregnant woman who is at risk of premature birth has the opportunity to seek help from a specialized maternity hospital that specializes specifically in such births, then this needs to be done. IN medical institutions This kind of nursing of seven-month-old children is the most common event, and the medical staff of such an institution has all the necessary practical skills for this. If this is not possible, then there is still no need to panic, since any modern maternity hospital has an incubator for premature babies, so the survival rate of seven- and eight-month-old babies is quite high today.

In the incubator there is an environment that is most suitable for the baby, which helps him not to waste a lot of energy when breathing. In addition, competent specialists working in incubators will help the child gain weight, he will be under constant supervision, etc.

If we talk about when you can take a seven-month-old baby home from the maternity hospital, then in this matter you should definitely listen to the doctor who cares for the premature baby. When the baby, who hastened to be born, gains the body weight necessary for him, acquires absolutely all the skills necessary for a normal life (i.e. learns to fully breathe, cry and suck), then a competent doctor will only then discharge the mother and baby home!

Rehabilitation of a child born at seven months after discharge from the hospital

Parents of seven-month-old babies are concerned about the rehabilitation of such children at home, i.e. how to care for him after the child is at home. It should be noted that, as a rule, no special rehabilitation program is required in uncomplicated cases - over time, nature and maternal care will do their job. In addition, upon discharge from the maternity hospital, a truly qualified specialist will definitely give the mother of a prematurely born baby the basic detailed recommendations and advice on how to properly care for such a child. The main conditions that must be observed are to strictly follow these recommendations, as well as timely and regularly monitor the baby in the clinic. In this case, a child born at seven months will subsequently grow up absolutely healthy, full-fledged and will be no different from those children who were born exactly on time.

What consequences await premature babies in the future?

Premature babies - what should parents prepare for, what should they know? Features of such children. What consequences await in the future? Nursing extremely premature babies.

List of articles on the topic:

Premature babies - the consequences of premature birth in the future, what complications await these children, what parents are preparing for - we will tell you in this article. The birth rate of premature babies born at 5, 6, 7, 8 months increases every year. The longer a child develops in the womb, the higher the chance of his survival. In the conditions of modern medicine, it is possible to save the lives of even the smallest babies born at 23-24 weeks. There have been cases where the lives of 22-week-old newborns were saved.

Premature babies: accompanying disorders

No one can predict with certainty what consequences await premature babies in the future. Some babies born earlier develop as full-term babies, others are slightly or significantly behind their peers. The developmental prognosis largely depends on how early the baby was born.

As a result of premature birth, the child is deprived of the opportunity to achieve full development in the mother's womb. In addition to problems at birth, premature babies may face the consequences of prematurity in the future. Such babies often grow up weak and sickly.

Depending on the degree of prematurity, children born prematurely have a number of disorders that limit the child’s ability to survive without modern medical care:

low body weight;

underdevelopment of the lungs (pulmonary failure);

visual impairment (retinopathy) and hearing;

prolonged jaundice of newborns;

neurological disorders;

developmental disorder.

These disorders can cause complications such as: patent ductus arteriosus (which should close after birth in the child), necrotizing enterocolitis, intracranial hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, delayed mental development. All these complications require prompt diagnosis in order to help the little patient.

Babies born between 24 and 26 weeks are at increased risk of delayed mental and motor development. The most common movement disorder in premature babies is cerebral palsy. The more late dates When a child is born, this probability decreases.

Another consequence of prematurity can be retinopathy, a disease that affects vision. It usually occurs in babies born before 28 weeks.

A newborn who was born prematurely should be regularly monitored by a doctor until he is 3 years old. It is advisable to do this during junior school age. This will allow you to monitor the child’s development and respond to possible complications in time.

Nursing extremely premature babies

These babies are called extremely premature, with a very low body weight of up to 1500 g. They are too weak, their body is not able to perform its vital functions without medical assistance. Having virtually no immunity, the body of these children cannot protect itself from infection. Any infection can lead to serious illness; therefore, very premature babies are prescribed antibiotics immediately after birth.

At first, extremely premature babies are kept in a special medical incubator, in which artificial intrauterine conditions are created. In the incubator (as this incubator is called), the baby is connected to a ventilator. There, the required temperature is maintained, feeding is provided, and many other manipulations necessary for caring for extremely premature babies are performed.

Parents need to be prepared for long-term nursing of such a child. Often these children later have deviations in physical and mental development and require medical supervision from many specialists.

Premature baby 7 months - consequences

Children, months old, usually weigh less than 2000. They are still weak and are often nursed in the intensive care unit. If the baby is not capable of independent breathing, then he is first placed in intensive care, where he is connected to a ventilator.

At this age, the child often does not have a sucking reflex; accordingly, he cannot take mother’s milk naturally or receive nutrition through the nipple. In such cases, feeding is carried out intravenously or through a tube.

Seven-month premature babies, the consequences for them in the future are ambiguous. Their immune system is usually weakened. This contributes to frequent bacterial infections. Infections are one of the main causes of high mortality among premature infants.

The body is premature born baby not fully formed, therefore vulnerable to the development of many diseases and disorders. Due to its immaturity, it is not able to perform its functions like the body of a full-term baby. In this regard, problems of the respiratory system, heart defects, and intellectual disorders may appear later in the child’s life.

Everything that can happen to the nervous system of a premature baby can be divided into 2 large and unequal groups. Firstly, even if nothing bad happened to the nerve cells and cerebral blood flow, the cells of the nervous system still turn out to be very immature and sometimes not “capable” of properly regulating all organs and systems. These relationships take time to develop. So, in the first days the baby does not know how to suck independently, because the nerve impulse is not transmitted correctly to the muscles that are involved in sucking. The child is fed through a tube for a long time until the sucking reflex is formed. Very often, such children, having already learned to suck, swallow poorly. The child holds food in his mouth for a long time in a small volume and only then swallows it. Feeding takes a lot of time; usually parents adapt to feeding the baby from a pipette in small portions. In addition, such a child has to be fed liquid food for a long time, sometimes up to 2-3 years, due to the fact that the chewing muscles develop poorly. Due to the immaturity of the nervous system of the stomach and intestines, such children usually regurgitate profusely, and intestinal colic sometimes continues until 5-6 months of age. Constipation often occurs because the nervous regulation of the intestines is very imperfect.

Children whom doctors were forced to feed through a tube for a long time, and who were on artificial ventilation for a long time, usually start speaking late and pronounce sounds incorrectly, because the reflexes that regulate muscle tone involved in the pronunciation of sounds take a very long time to form. Therefore, almost all very premature babies require the help of a speech therapist. Moreover, speech therapy classes are necessary even before the child begins to speak in order to normalize the tone of the tongue muscles and form the correct development of speech muscles.

Due to deep immaturity, premature babies are delayed in motor development; they begin to hold their head up, pick up a toy, and roll over late. After six months, immaturity is no longer as pronounced and the child develops faster. Often, a premature baby’s motor skills are “confused”: the child begins to first stand up, then sit down, he may learn to crawl late, he may walk on tiptoe for a long time. There are two cures for immaturity: time and your patience.

If your baby is less fortunate, then in addition to deep immaturity, the cells of the nervous system may suffer from the lack of oxygen that a premature baby experiences during severe pregnancy and childbirth. If oxygen starvation of the brain was not too severe and prolonged, then the changes that occurred in the cells will be reversible and will not lead to serious consequences in the future. In the first months, such children may be more excitable and have sleep disturbances. Subsequently, they develop well and by the age of 1.5-2 years do not differ in level of development from their full-term peers. But if cell damage could not be avoided, this may result in “ruptures” of brain vessels and hemorrhages in the ventricles of the brain. At 1-2 months of life, the condition of such children is usually severe, and they require medical care and long-term nursing.

With mild hemorrhages, the walls of small vessels “burst,” which can lead to increased intracranial pressure. Intracranial pressure increases due to excess fluid formation in the ventricles of the brain, which puts pressure on surrounding tissues. With minor hemorrhages, the condition in most cases is quickly compensated, the outflow of fluid from the ventricles is normalized, and the hemorrhages resolve without a trace. In other words, hemorrhages of the 1st and 2nd degrees can pass without a trace for the child, however, this does not mean that he does not need to be observed and treated at 1-2 years of age.

Severe hemorrhages, when large vessels “rupture” and blood fills all the cerebral ventricles, cause much more serious consequences, leading to seizures, developmental delays, and motor disorders. Such children need constant help from a neonatologist, neurologist and other specialists, in particular monitoring of neurosensory organs (hearing and vision), since these areas of the brain can be damaged. If the baby is severely delayed in his development, you need to carefully observe whether he has seizures. The attacks are very different and sometimes do not resemble convulsions at all. The child may look away and freeze for a few seconds, stick out his tongue, or make unusual, elaborate movements with his arms and legs. You should be especially wary if the child bends or straightens too much, several times in a row. If there is any suspicion of convulsive seizures, the baby needs to consult a neurologist and conduct an electroencephalogram. If possible, make a video recording so that the neurologist can see the attacks that alert you.

In premature babies who have suffered severe oxygen deprivation, irreversible death of nerve cells directly in the brain tissue can occur. This is the most heavy look lesions, and it is called periventricular leukomalacia. With periventricular leukomalacia, cells of the white and sometimes gray matter of the brain are destroyed, and in their place are formed. This brain damage is determined using an ultrasound scan of the brain. Over time, these cysts “close”, and after 6-8 months of age they are no longer visible on ultrasound. The outcome of such children may vary: from minimal motor disorders with motor awkwardness and normal development psyche, until the formation of paresis, paralysis with delayed psychomotor development.

The diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia is very serious, but is not a final verdict. What will be the outcome in in this case in the first months of life, no one knows. The brain cells of a premature baby continue to develop outside the womb; the tissue is very plastic and can partially take over the function of damaged cells. Again and again we want to say: do not lose hope, treat the child, try to help him, develop him, follow the doctor’s orders. And you can get a fairly good result even in a very serious situation. Moreover, science moves forward, and new knowledge and methods of providing assistance appear every day.

Digestive problems in a premature baby

The main concern of parents of a premature baby is the problem of weight gain and, indeed, this is of paramount importance as the main indicator of the baby’s physical well-being. It should be taken into account that the rate of growth of physical indicators (body weight, length, head and chest circumference) in a premature baby will differ significantly from those of his full-term peers. At least until 6-9 months, your baby will be smaller, and mandatory weight control becomes of primary importance at this time: in the first weeks and months of life, daily (it is necessary to take into account the correctness of daily weighing of the child, which must be carried out at one and the same time). the same time, preferably before the first morning feeding or in the evening, before bathing), and then monthly. What should alarm you first of all is a drop in body weight or lack of weight gain (the baby is “standing” in weight). The reasons can be either quite serious or due to feeding errors, insufficient breast milk at the mother's. Naturally, in any case, you need to consult a pediatrician to clarify the causes and eliminate them.

The main problems from digestive system in a premature baby, which almost all parents encounter, is intestinal colic. The word comes from the Greek kolikos, meaning pain in the colon. Colic is paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, accompanied by severe anxiety in the child. The attack, as a rule, begins suddenly, the child screams loudly and more or less continuously, redness of the face or pallor of the nasolabial triangle may be noted. The abdomen is swollen and tense, the legs are pulled up to the stomach (can instantly straighten), the feet are often cold to the touch, the arms are pressed to the body. The attack sometimes ends only after the child is completely exhausted. Often noticeable relief occurs after the passage of stool and gases.

Premature babies are especially prone to colic, with some infants experiencing frequent and intense attacks that can be compared in severity to labor pain, and certainly require medical intervention. Apparently, the main reason for this baby’s suffering may be the immaturity of the neuromuscular system and the intestinal enzymatic system. And because of this, the tendency to increased gas formation, resulting in increased pressure on the intestinal wall and muscle spasm.

The cause of discomfort and bloating can also be irrational feeding. Some foods, especially those high in carbohydrates, can promote excessive fermentation in the intestines. Intestinal allergies also cause the baby to cry due to a feeling of discomfort in the abdomen. But the causes of colic are not limited to these conditions. It is important to promptly diagnose diseases that require surgical intervention. Therefore, if there is no effect from the usual measures aimed at eliminating colic (special carminative herbal teas, simethicone preparations, cleansing enema, use of a gas tube, abdominal massage, dry heat on the abdominal area), the child should be carefully examined in a medical institution.

Dyspepsia (diarrhea, constipation) in a premature baby is a frequent and worrying phenomenon for parents and pediatricians. At breastfeeding The baby may have stools after each feeding along with gases (foamy) and quite liquid. In children receiving formula, stools are rarer - 3-4 times a day. The absence of stool in a baby for more than 1 day can be considered constipation. The cause of dyspepsia is the immaturity of the neuromuscular apparatus of the intestine, a violation of the formation of intestinal biocenosis, transferred bacterial infections, long-term antibacterial therapy, treatment with iron supplements, anticonvulsants (what was prescribed to your child for health reasons) can lead to disruption of the innervation of the intestine, as a result of inflammation of its mucous membrane, changes in the trophism of the colon mucosa occur.

Digestive disorders caused by high fat content of breast milk or its substitutes; immaturity of enzymatic function. In all these cases, there are special corrective formulas - therapeutic breast milk substitutes, preventive drugs that can help your child, but it is very important to coordinate their use with your pediatrician.

Spitting syndrome can also be a concern for parents of a premature baby. Most common cause This is due to immaturity and temporary (passing) smooth muscles of the stomach - the so-called “duodeno-gastric reflux”. Most often it occurs in premature babies who have been fed long time through a probe. Also possible reason regurgitation may be aerophagia (when the baby greedily swallows air along with food). Masses during regurgitation look abundant due to their binding with air and usually do not change the baby’s well-being in any way. In this case, you need to be patient and wait until the baby’s stomach “ripens”, while following the recommendations for proper feeding, holding the baby upright for 10-15 minutes after feeding. Improvement occurs quite quickly with the introduction of thickener mixtures (Frisov, Nutrilon-antireflux) into the diet. It is better to give medications to the child before feeding. However, there are situations in which urgent consultation with a specialist is necessary. If there are streaks of blood in the regurgitated masses, if they are so abundant that the child does not gain weight well, if the baby’s well-being is disturbed during regurgitation - do not hesitate, consult a doctor!

Condition of the skeletal system and joints

The phenomena of morpho-functional immaturity in a premature baby often extend to the musculoskeletal system. Imperfect neuromuscular regulation, weak ligaments, and excessive joint mobility can lead to changes in the correct position of the child’s limbs, head and spine.

Often the baby holds his head in a fixed position to one side. The reason for this may be congenital shortening of the neck muscle on one side, traumatic damage to the spine or cervical muscles when the head is removed during childbirth, or just the “habitual” position of the head, that is, the child “lay” in this position most of the time in the uterus. The correct diagnosis is always made by a doctor, and the sooner this happens, the more effective the treatment will be.

Prematurity, especially in combination with abnormal intrauterine position of the fetus, is usually accompanied by underdevelopment of the hip joints or “dysplasia”. The most severe variant of this pathology is dislocation of the hip joint. The diagnosis is made soon after the birth of the child and requires early treatment based on abduction of the legs at the hip joint. Currently effective method in identifying abnormalities in the development of joints is ultrasound scanning, which is mandatory for all children at 1 and 3 months of life or more often if a disease is detected.

Considering that the described problems are especially common in premature babies, every baby should be examined by an orthopedist several times in the first year of life. As a rule, children receive their first consultation at 1 month of life, then at 3 and 12 months. If pathology is detected, there may be more consultations. Timely identification of abnormalities will help to quickly begin treatment and raise a healthy child.

We tried to talk in an accessible way about the most common problems of the 1st year of life of a premature baby. All of them require attention, observation and timely treatment. We strongly recommend that you contact specialists who specifically deal with the health and development of such children - this will help you avoid mistakes and unnecessary worries.

We wish you and your kids happiness and health!

Skripets Petr Petrovich,
pediatric ophthalmic surgeon, candidate of medical sciences

Comment on the article "A premature baby is not a death sentence for a family! Part 2"

The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation will expand the risk group during vaccination. It will be supplemented by premature and low birth weight children, who will also need to receive vaccination against hemophilus influenzae infection. Thus, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation will change the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations. The draft order provides for an increase in the number of children who are at risk - namely, with anomalies of intestinal development, cancer, premature and low birth weight children. For now...

Amazing story happened to the pregnant Alena Avdeeva in the Miass maternity hospital. Miass doctors, during a cesarean section, discovered a cyst instead of a multiple pregnancy, which surprised both parties. During the operation, the doctors removed the cyst, says a REGNUM correspondent. This sad event destroyed the hope of the failed mother and she turned to the police. I wanted to figure out whether there were really no children or whether something had happened to them. Alena was observed in...

Discussion

Elena, hello! How did it all work out for you? I am now 38 weeks and we were given the same diagnoses..

Hang in there. You know, medicine is developing. Previously, a heart defect was a death sentence, but now it is being operated on and the child is being normal life. Our job is to hope, to believe in good things.

A premature baby is not a death sentence for a family! Part 2. If oxygen starvation of the brain was not too severe and prolonged, then the changes that occurred in the cells will be Intracranial pressure increases...

Currently, the optimal way to manage childbirth is infected women not fully defined. To make a decision, the doctor needs to know the results of a comprehensive virological study. Natural childbirth includes a whole range of measures aimed at adequate pain relief and prevention of fetal hypoxia and early rupture amniotic fluid reducing trauma to the birth canal in the mother and skin baby. Only if all preventive measures are followed does...

Discussion

I completely agree. Unfortunately, at the moment there is no consensus on the safest management of childbirth with hepatitis C. According to statistics, the likelihood of a child becoming infected with hepatitis is somewhat lower with planned caesarean section than with natural childbirth. However, none of these methods can guarantee the safety of a child from hepatitis infection. Therefore, the choice of method of obstetric care is based more on obstetric history than on knowledge of the presence of this infection.

The unborn baby said: “I am afraid to come into this world. There are so many inhospitable, evil, prickly eyes, crooked smiles... I'll freeze, I'll get lost there, I'll get wet in the heavy rain. Well, who will I quietly snuggle up to? Who will I stay with if I’m left alone?” The Lord answered him quietly: “Don’t be sad, baby, don’t be sad, a good angel, he will be with you, While you mature and grow. He will rock you undead, bend over and sing lullabies, hold you tightly to his chest, and gently warm you with his wings. First tooth...

Name of examination Expiration date 1. Blood group, Rh factor 2. General analysis blood 14 days 3. General urine test 14 days 4. Glycosylated hemoglobin (only for patients with type I and II diabetes) 3 months 5. Biochemical blood test: total protein -. Urea, creatinine. K, Na–Blood sugar – Bilirubin (by fractions) 14 days 6. Blood clotting time: (Duke, or Sukharev) or coagulogram 14 days 7. HIV, RW, HbS, HCV (have your PASSPORT with you) 3 months 8. ECG 1 month 9...

Not only diarrhea can cause concern in mothers, but also fatty baby stool as a symptom of serious disorders in the body. In a healthy baby, feces, as a rule, have a uniform consistency, yellowish color, soft and without any admixtures of blood or other liquid. The emptying process should be painless. Constipation and diarrhea are not good, but isolated cases do not indicate any abnormalities in the baby’s body. But fatty stools can signal serious disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas...

What to do in the first 10 minutes after a fall: * Don’t think that the child will forever remain disabled * Don’t think that this is “nonsense”, that “all children fall” * Really assess the child’s condition: is there soft tissue swelling? Is the child behaving unusually? * Call a doctor. It is better to rule out a serious injury (after x-ray or tomography) than to miss it. Sounding the alarm * Pale skin and changes in the baby's reactions. The child becomes lethargic and sleepy or excessively...

We went to Turkey with our children three times. Once we got sick with rotavirus. We called an ambulance for our youngest. We went on vacation in vain. Then I was taught prevention. A doctor of the highest category, an auntie came to the house for a fee. A few days before departure and on the day of departure, Arbidol and Viferon suppositories. I have a negative attitude towards immunomodulators and stimulants, but it works here. Before returning, the same is desirable. But I give up. Now the children are 8 and 13 years old with their grandmother in Bulgaria, the third week is ending. There are 2...

Discussion

Didn't he happen to be drunk when he wrote this???
1 is a generally normal child. Where is he premature? For 1 week or what?
2. Since when was 3050 considered extremely low birth weight????????????????????
hydronephrosis - see a urologist. But it's not scary. In severe cases, it may not be an insanely complex operation that will be required, but most likely you will have to live with it.

healthy children!!

Extremely low birth weight - less than 1000 g, which means the second one was a little larger. And in 3-4 weeks before 3300 it is impossible to gain weight.
Typical diagnoses, hydronephrosis (unilateral? bilateral?) need to be looked at in dynamics, determine the cause, maybe. Both conservative treatment and surgical treatment are required; the prognosis is also determined by a combination of factors.

The other day, a post was published on the pages of livejournal magazine: “Is supernanny bad?” In her search for a nanny, Nastya found exactly the one that seemed to make any mother happy. ‘’ The nanny helped overcome all the problems that frighten young mothers so much - how to potty train, wean from a pacifier, teach to fall asleep on their own. And it was clear from the child that the nanny was a treasure. But there was a climax in the nanny-family relationship, and the child demanded the presence of a nanny. The question arises: to be good...

Nastya was born at 33-34 weeks. Prematurity, triple entanglement of the umbilical cord and difficult labor (stimulation, pressure on the abdomen, anhydrous period of about 14 hours) led to serious consequences: 2 weeks in intensive care (including 10 days on mechanical ventilation), a month in the neonatal pathology department and, ultimately, a month and a half the child and his mother finally went home with diagnoses: subacute intracerebral hematoma of the left parietal region and subdural hematoma in the posteromedial surface of the left hemisphere...

A premature baby is not a death sentence for a family! Part 2. Answer who is raising very premature babies born weighing less than 600 grams.

Discussion

Absolutely, the interval may be different - my twins were fed after 2.5 hours. But some children frequent feeding Mine spit up too :(

Naturally, a weak child does not get enough to eat, not every full-term baby can withstand 3 hours, and in general a premature baby probably needs to be fed every hour. My daughter quickly got tired of sucking, she will suck for about 10 minutes, sleep for 10-15 minutes and finish sucking for another 10 minutes. Then I went without food for 2 hours. I counted all this as one feeding, although the doctor said that this was not correct. Is it right for her to scream for an hour afterwards? Or should we just go out for a walk and eat what we asked for?

Discussion

Here is a good example. Natalya, we just went to visit, Anyutka’s second cousin, she follows him with her tail, looks into his mouth, obeys in everything, almost prays))) A 9-year-old boy is in good health, in winter he runs with his father from the bathhouse into the snow, generally running half naked. It’s just a classic - he’s standing there, grimy, all bitten by mosquitoes, scratched, his knees are knocked down, “Well, maaaam...” he whines about being excused from garden work and a couple of friends are hesitating at the gate, while finishing the second grade according to Zinkov, (not according to Paterson lung, they would and it’s not necessary, but the simpler school is too far away and inconvenient) there are B grades, but in general he is considered an excellent student. Not a boy, but a dream. And my mother’s comments: “Oh, you know, just this year I sighed and relaxed a little.” And he was born with your parameters, very premature, 1300, intensive care, “let’s pray that he lives to see the 3rd day,” “let’s pray that he lives for a week,” the chances will be greater. At 3 years old “when will he start talking”, at 5 years old “oh my God, yesterday I understood everything, today I’m laying out the manuals to repeat, and again, as if for the first time, he sees that others from 1 time, mine remembers from 20-50, it’s just a memory bad." But there is MOM, a non-working MOM, an iron man-tank heading towards the goal. I envy her terribly, God did not give me such freedom. Goal, plan, regime, schedule, absolute faith in your son, self-discipline and not a day of doubt or “give up.” I couldn't do that. But she was also lucky, there were no specific strong pathologies or diagnoses, she was just overall premature, “immature.” I recovered 200%. And there are bad examples, so you can’t predict how things will go for your twins.

At 24 months old, my goddaughter didn’t say anything except mom, she walked, but at the same time she couldn’t climb onto the 40 cm high sofa. It’s difficult for me to say at all that she understood, because... out of 10 times she was approached, she reacted in about 4-5 cases, ate very little and very selectively. Now she is 2 years old and 10 months old, she runs, talks and talks very funny. although she still has little contact with strangers, she can switch off (in terms of reaction) at any moment. No one measured her head, but a 6-month-old baby’s hats fit on her without any problems (if you’re interested, I can try them on). At the age of 2 years, the neuropathologist prescribed hopantenate. Parents are not worried at all. And another case with a neighbor's child. The girl did not speak at all until she was 3.5 years old. She understood everything, then she began to speak very slowly. By the age of 4, the vocabulary of used words was approximately 30 to 40. Now he is finishing school and entering the Polytechnic. Still not very talkative. So maybe you just need to take your time. After all, the children are still small.

A premature baby is not a death sentence for a family! Part 2. Answer who is raising very premature babies born weighing less than 600 grams.

Discussion

My son was born almost seven months old with a weight of 1.400, within a year he gained normal weight, just one year old, developing normally, a very smart boy, but psychologically it’s very difficult - a child with a pessimistic view of everything, comes to the point of thinking “it’s better for me not to live”, does not know how to empathize with others, and sometimes becomes aggressive.
In the first years of life, this could be attributed to the whims, characteristics of the child, then they did an MRI of the brain - it turned out to be organic lesions of the brain (some lesions do not work), as a consequence of prematurity, underdevelopment of the brain, although in terms of health in the first years there was A lot has been done: we were constantly treated by a neurologist, had massages 4 times a year, etc. Sometimes it is very difficult to communicate with your son, although he is already an adult boy, he understands how to behave, but nothing can be done. With two such children it will be difficult, to say the least.

A friend of mine gave birth to a girl before 7 months.
With her and through the eyes of the problem, and with neurology, at 2 years old does not sit or walk... a very difficult child.
She says: they saved, but was it worth it?...

I think that those who are born less than 1,500 have big health problems, and what’s worse, it’s not known at all how everything will be in a year or two. Alas =(