Prematurity

What is ‘classed’ as premature?

Gestation for a baby is 40 weeks. Premature babies are ‘classed’ as birth anytime before 37 weeks gestation.

The World Health Organisation breaks it down as follows:

Moderate to late preterm – 32 to 37 weeks gestation

Very preterm – 38 – 32 weeks gestation

Extremely preterm – Less than 28 weeks gestation

 

Correcting age

It is important to use corrected age for working out the development of a preterm infant. Even though they have been born, a baby still needs to continue developing what they would have continued to develop within the womb before birth.

Generally speaking, corrected age is corrected up until two years, when premature babies are thought to have ‘caught up’. This is in the absence of any other long-term condition which may affect their development.

To work this out use, use the following –

Actual age – number of weeks premature = corrected age

For example, a 6-month-old baby who was born 8 weeks early, would have a correct age of 4 months old.

 

What can cause a baby to be born prematurely?

In many cases the cause for a preterm birth is unknown. Some risk factors do include:

Multiple births (twins / triplets etc)

Previous premature birth

Some chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure

Poor nutrition

Infections during pregnancy (some but not all)

Being under/overweight before pregnancy

Physical injury or trauma

SARS Covid19 – Research currently underway to support this

 

Long-term complications of pre-term birth

No all children suffer these conditions, and, in some cases, these are not diagnosed until 18+ months corrected age.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) – the largest concern of most parents with a preterm birth. The risk is higher for babies born before 32 weeks.

Impaired cognitive ability – Learning difficulties / disabilities

Coordination problems – some research has linked future coordination problems such as developmental coordination disorder (Dyspraxia) to prematurity.

Visual or hearing impairment – due to baby having less developmental time before birth. Routine follow-up checks with a health visitor, pediatrician, doctor etc are advised.

Many babies born prematurely will be born late preterm (at 34-36 weeks of pregnancy), and some of these may not need specialist care on a neonatal unit.