What is a premature baby?

Premature babies are those babies who are born between twenty four and thirty seven weeks of gestation. Chances of survival for such a baby born before twenty four weeks of pregnancy are rather very slim. Premature babies are even more vulnerable compared to full-term babies and need to be treated with special care. Such tiny, frail creatures are frequently born with several problems, since many of their faculties are not fully developed.

What are the many problems associated with premature babies?

Common problems associated with premature babies are as follows:

• Respiratory distress syndrome. Premature babies face difficulty in gas exchange due to protein and fluid collection within small air sacs and collapse of the sacs themselves.
• Difficulty in feeding as a result of weakness.
• Bigger likelihood of contracting jaundice and greater vulnerability to its effects.
• More susceptible to infection.
• Congenital defects, including the ones affecting the heart.
• Danger of bleeding in brain leading to development of hydrocephalus (dilatation of fluid-filled cavities or the ventricles in brain).

Premature babies are extremely fragile and doctors must tread gingerly when it comes to taking care of them. Sometimes a solution can lead to further problems. There have been cases of a baby's lung been blown out or scarred due to over-inflation of the lung by a respirator. Oxygen therapy has been known to cause blindness or impaired vision in premature babies.

The smaller the premature baby is at birth, the greater will be the problems in the long run. These babies are capable of developing cerebral palsy, learning disorders, mental retardation, and vision, speech as well as hearing problems.

Premature babies require special care

Premature babies are put straight into the intensive care unit and are usually kept in incubators. They need round-the-clock nursing. They are fed intravenously and at times put on the respirator so as to help them breathe if necessary. Vital signs like blood pressure, breathing, heart rate, and pulse are closely monitored. Premature babies are kept in intensive care until the doctors are of the opinion that they are completely out of danger.

A life and death decision

If premature labour is not arrested, the next best thing the doctors can possibly do is to make sure that the frail babies survive and lead a normal life as far as possible. The advances in filed of neonatal care have increased the possibility of survival of premature babies. However, the catch is that these babies are often severely handicapped. Faced with a small, sick, premature baby, doctors are in a dilemma whether to do their utmost to ensure the baby's survival or just let nature take its course. While the baby may survive, there is no guarantee about the quality of life. The baby may be physically or mentally handicapped. At the same time, it is extremely difficult for both parents as well as doctors to take a decision for letting the baby die.

The doctors can help parents make an informed decision about their baby's life. The pros and cons of survival should be discussed since whichever way the decision goes there is no turning back. Parents need to keep in mind that deciding to save the baby might be a cruel decision if the baby is going to be severely handicapped. Also, they should consider how caring for a handicapped child could be a terrible toll on their lives. They also need to think about who will take care of the child if they are not around any longer.