Caring for a preemie
Basic care for a preterm baby differs somewhat from your care for a full-term baby.
• Be sure she's kept warm. Her lack of fat means she can't maintain her body temperature.
• She may require dietary supplements because her intestines do not yet have the complete ability to absorb certain nutrients.
• She may require smaller, more frequent feedings.
• She probably sleeps more than a full-term baby, and may take longer than usual to settle into any pattern.
• Research has revealed that premature babies who receive lots of maternal contact, especially in conditions that simulate the movement they would have enjoyed within the womb, grow faster than babies in isolated, static care.
• You may explore the possibility of seeing a special developmental pediatrician, to stay on top of your baby's development.
• There are guidelines for transporting preemies in vehicles, and specially developed car beds are being evaluated.
Excerpted from Growing with Your Child: pre-Birth to age 5 by Christine Langlois. Copyright 1998 by Telemedia Communications Inc. Excerpted, with permission by Ballantine Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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