Premature is a child who was born between the 22nd and 38th weeks of pregnancy. Its weight ranges from half a kilogram to two and a half kilograms. There are four degrees of prematurity of the child, depending on its mass at birth:
- First degree: 2000-2500 g;
- the second: 1500 - 2000 g;
- the third: 1000-1500 g;
- the fourth: up to 1000g.
An important indicator is the month of pregnancy, when the child was born. Since at different times of pregnancy, he is at different stages of intrauterine development.
It's not a secret that a premature baby does not adapt well to external conditions, which, by the way, can greatly affect its development outside the mother's tummy. Here is what it is expressed in:
- Often, premature babies are born with burgundy and shiny skin. This, in turn, indicates that the child has not developed a subcutaneous fat layer. These kids look wrinkled "old men" because their skin is not sufficiently formed. But this eventually passes.
- A premature baby is very vulnerable. After the first two days of life, he may develop physiological jaundice, which in preterm infants is more pronounced, and duration is longer. In addition, it can cause damage to brain cells.
- The features of the development of preterm infants are such that their body is not fully developed: the vessels and internal organs are viewed. And the frontal bones are incompletely formed, unlike children who were born "just on schedule". Therefore, the head is slightly larger in size and has a different shape. Respiration is rapid and uneven, which can stop at any rate. Only after a month and a half baby begins to perceive the load on the muscles, and breathing normalizes and will become stable.
- The development of premature babies requires strict adherence to rules and constant monitoring. They have not fully formed nervous system, so the baby lacks most of the congenital reflexes (for example, he can not swallow). Therefore, its food is produced using specialized tools. Children of the third and fourth degree of prematurity are subject to special dangers. For example, their vision is under threat.
A premature baby needs a mother's milk for full development. However, there is a huge obstacle: at this stage of pregnancy, milk does not yet appear. Therefore, mothers undergo special procedures and stimulate the formation of milk. Why is mother's milk important? Its composition is unique and suits the child best. Therefore, for the development of a premature baby, it is especially important to feed mother milk, especially in the first six months of life.
Development of a premature baby by months
Development of a premature baby occurs strictly by months. There are established indicators that the child must achieve in order to continue living without complications and deficiencies in the body. The stages of development of a premature baby by months can be found in the table of development of a premature baby. It is presented below and it reflects such features of development of premature infants as its weight and height, depending on the month of life, and also the degree of prematurity.
| Age | Degree of prematurity | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV (800-1000 g) | III (1001-1500 g) | II (1501-2000 g) | I (2001-2500 g) | |||||
| Weight, g | Length, cm | Weight, g | Length, cm | Weight, g | Length, cm | Weight, g | Length, cm | |
| 1 | 180 | 3.9 | 190 | 3.7 | 190 | 3.8 | 300 | 3.7 |
| 2 | 400 | 3.5 | 650 | 4 | 700-800 | 3.9 | 800 | 3.6 |
| 3 | 600-700 | 2.5 | 600-700 | 4.2 | 700-800 | 3.6 | 700-800 | 3.6 |
| 4 | 600 | 3.5 | 600-700 | 3.7 | 600-900 | 3.8 | 700-900 | 3.3 |
| 5 | 650 | 3.7 | 750 | 3.6 | 800 | 3.3 | 700 | 2.3 |
| 6th | 750 | 3.7 | 800 | 2.8 | 700 | 2.3 | 700 | 2 |
| 7th | 500 | 2.5 | 950 | 3 | 600 | 2.3 | 700 | 1.6 |
| 8 | 500 | 2.5 | 600 | 1.6 | 700 | 1.8 | 700 | 1.5 |
| 9 | 500 | 1.5 | 600 | 1.6 | 700 | 1.8 | 700 | 1.5 |
| 10 | 450 | 2.5 | 500 | 1.7 | 400 | 0.8 | 400 | 1.5 |
| eleven | 500 | 2.2 | 300 | 0.6 | 500 | 0.9 | 400 | 1.0 |
| 12 | 450 | 1.7 | 350 | 1.2 | 400 | 1.5 | 300 | 1.2 |
| 1 year, weight | ≈ 7080 | ≈ 8450 | ≈ 8650 | ≈ 9450 | ||||
If you observe all the features of development of premature babies, their development for up to a year will pass according to biological norms and without special complications.
The psychomotor development of a premature baby depends on the doctors and the situation around the child. Since he has not yet formed reflexes, as well as the nervous system, it is the task of physicians to create such conditions that the development of all these parts of the organism takes place without interference and severe complications.