Acıbadem Ataşehir Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Pediatrics Specialist Dr. Murat Aydın answered the 5 most frequently asked questions about premature babies and made important suggestions and warnings.
Babies born before completing 37 weeks of gestation in the womb are called 'premature babies'. Roughly 140 million babies are born around the world each year. According to the data of the World Health Organization; 15 million of these babies say 'hello' to the world before their time. According to the 2020 data on the number of babies born alive in Turkey; While it is 1 million 112 thousand 859, the rate of 'premature babies' is about 15 percent. In other words, approximately 167 thousand babies are born 'premature' every year in our country.
The heartwarming news is that the survival rate of many premature babies has increased significantly in the last 20 years, thanks to the developments in the field of neonatology (newborn baby care) in our country as well as all over the world. So much so that 30 out of 10 babies born after 8 weeks have long-term health or developmental problems similar to term babies. In addition, while premature babies born at 15-23 weeks of gestation 24 years ago had no chance of survival, today, even one-third of babies born at 23 weeks of gestation grow up without serious problems.
“What factors lead to preterm birth?”
Dr. Murat Aydın said, “Although it is not always possible to know the cause of premature births, it is known that preterm birth is often triggered when there is a situation that threatens the mother's life. Maternal infections, uterine bleeding or other problems, multiple pregnancies such as twins or triplets, maternal diabetes during pregnancy, high blood pressure, heart or kidney diseases, as well as smoking, alcohol consumption, stress and physical trauma during pregnancy, early It is one of the factors that trigger childbirth.
“What kind of path is followed in the risk of preterm birth?”
Expectant mothers with the threat of preterm birth need to be followed very closely. Dr. Noting that it is extremely important to continue the pregnancy as much as possible without risking the health of the mother and the baby, Murat Aydın said, “Because each additional day spent in the womb increases the chance of survival of the baby every week. Therefore, in this case, the neonatal specialist and the obstetrician follow the process together and, if possible, reduce the risk of preterm birth with medication and surgical methods. If preterm birth is inevitable, steroid treatment applied to expectant mothers between 23-35 weeks of gestation reduces the risk of respiratory distress and cerebral hemorrhage in the premature baby, and significantly increases the chance of survival.
“What health problems are seen in premature babies?”
Premature babies are at higher risk for diseases than term babies. Specialist Dr. Pointing out that the earlier the baby is born, the risk increases accordingly, Murat Aydın said, “In addition, the problems that the baby experiences while lying in the 'Neonatal Intensive Care Unit', regardless of the week of birth and birth weight, also affect the long-term results. Respiratory Distress Syndrome, chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity, intracranial hemorrhages, digestive system problems, heart-related problems are quite common in premature babies. In the long term, neurological problems such as vision and hearing problems, learning difficulties, speech problems and cerebral palsy may develop. For this reason, high-risk premature babies should be followed up in a multidisciplinary manner together with neonatal specialists, neurologists, child development specialists, ophthalmologists, audiologists, speech therapists and physiotherapists.
“What is the protocol followed in premature babies?”
There are diagnosis and treatment protocols of the Turkish Neonatology Association, which were created by evaluating international guidelines for the follow-up and treatment of premature babies, together with the data and opportunities of our country. Dr. Murat Aydın continued as follows:
“The classic phrase 'There is no disease, there is only a patient' is also valid for our premature babies. The important thing is that the baby is born and raised in the safe hands of a neonatal doctor, if possible. Each baby is discharged from the hospital at different times. There is no specific day or week of discharge. Babies are ready to go home when they start breathing on their own and have no respiratory distress, maintain body temperature, can be breast or bottle fed, and gain weight regularly.”
“What should be paid attention to in their home care?”
Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Murat Aydın lists the rules that you should pay attention to in the care of your premature baby at home:
“Your baby's room should be in a quiet and sunny environment.
Make sure the room temperature is 24-26°C.
Avoid unnecessary items and dusty materials such as plush toys.
Make sure that the floor of the room is covered with soft material.
Carpet use is not recommended. If you are going to use it, choose an anti-allergic and thin carpet.
For lighting, choose night lamps that will not come directly to the baby's eyes and give little light.
Prefer bedsteads that are made in accordance with the standards, that lead-free wood paint is used, that have a fixed handrail and that the margins do not exceed 8 cm.
In order to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, make sure that the bed is not soft and there is no gap between the bed and the bed.
Do not use side pads, as such objects can cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Pillow use is not recommended for the first year.
Take care to stay in the same room for the first year so that you can closely monitor your baby.
Prefer cotton and non-sweaty clothes, do not wear hairy and thick clothes.
After receiving the clothes, wash them with soap powder or baby detergent suitable for babies.
Do not put any clothes on without ironing to prevent infectious and allergen agents.
Dress your baby in a way that ensures heat stability at home so that he or she should not get cold and sweaty at home.
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