The development of a premature baby for months to a year

Kids who were born before the expected time, develop slightly different than full-term babies. Their development is proceeding at a faster pace, and by the age of one, the premature baby is practically no different from the baby born on time.

For premature babies include babies who were born on gestational age from 21 to 37 weeks. Their development is characterized by such features:

• Kids learn basic skills a few months later of full-term peers. If the baby was born before 32 weeks of gestation, then the lag is 3-4 months, and for babies who were born after this period, the lag will be only 1-2 months.
• Babies weighing less than 1500 g need special conditions immediately after birth, so they are kept in incubators in which conditions are close to intrauterine. After gaining weight up to 1700 g, the baby will be mixed in the crib, which has heating. When the baby’s body weight reaches 2000 g, special thermal support is no longer required.
• Due to the special functioning of the nervous system of the crumbs at birth ahead of time, such babies need increased attention. It is very important to surround the baby with caress and after discharge to create comfortable conditions at home.

Thermoregulation of a premature baby has its own characteristics. The room should have a temperature in the range of 20-22 ° C, and humidity - 50-70%. For more on this, see the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.

A premature baby looks like this:

• The body weight of the baby is very low, and the growth is tiny.
• The skin of the baby is thin, with many wrinkles, in the first days it is pronounced red.
• Auricles are thin and soft, can stick together.
• On the back and limbs (and sometimes on the face) there is a soft hair down, which is called lanugo.
• The head of the baby looks disproportionately large, it corresponds to about 1/3 of the length of the body.
• The baby’s belly is large and the navel is lower.
• Neck and limbs karapuz short.
• The plates on the nails are very thin, almost transparent.
• The external genital organs are not fully formed - in boys, the testicles did not descend into the scrotum, while in girls the gaping gap in the genital area is observed.
• The big spring has shifted due to the underdeveloped skull.
• On a small spring there may be areas without skin.
• The child is lethargic and weak.

Depending on the initial weight of the infant, several degrees of prematurity are distinguished:

• 1 degree - children weighing from 2 kg to 2.5 kg. Usually they are born for a period of 36-37 weeks. By the year, such babies increase their mass by 4-5 times.
• 2 degree - babies weighing from 1.5 kg to 2 kg. This weight is typical for babies born at 32-35 weeks of pregnancy. By the year their body weight increases by 5-7 times.
• 3 degree - children weighing 1-1.5 kg. Such babies are called low-mass babies or very premature babies. They are born at 28-31 weeks of gestation, and by the year their weight increases by 6-7 times.
• 4th degree - babies weighing less than 1000 g. Such a weight is called extreme. They are born for up to 28 weeks and increase their mass by a factor of 8–10 by the year.

The rate of weight gain in preterm in the first year of life will be something like this:

The increase in growth is also determined by the degree of prematurity of the infant and will be:

Premature babies of the first month of life may not be active. They are often sedentary, and their muscle tone is reduced. They gain weight very slowly and most often simply compensate for weight loss in the first days of life.

The sucking reflex is often absent, so the baby is fed with a probe. Children who are unable to breathe on their own are given artificial respiration.

By the beginning of this month, the baby begins to actively gain weight and add more body length than his full-term peers. However, he, as before, gets tired quickly and is very weak. It is very important to provide crumbs enhanced nutrition. If the baby does not breastfeed, it is advisable to express the milk and feed it the necessary number of times.

Weight gain at this age is quite active, so many babies double their weight at birth. The baby reacts well to sounds and light, but the baby is still sleeping most of the day.

A premature baby of this age can already lift and hold its head for some time. Scarce learned to fix his gaze on a contrasting subject, and also began to make sounds that resemble a gagging. In the mode of the day, babies will certainly have to walk, gymnastics, massage and bathing.

At this age, a premature baby gives mom the first conscious smile. Because of the slightly increased tonus of the limbs, the movements of the little ones are still a little convulsive, but the tiny one is already able to hold a small rattle in the handle. Mental development is high. The kid is already easy to find the source of the sound, turning his head.

The baby of this age begins to catch up on the development of peers born full-term. His weight triples, compared with the weight with which the baby was born. He recognizes loved ones and discerns their voices, babbles a lot, laughs, deals with toys. If the crumb is supported under the arms, the crumb will rest with its feet on the surface and repel like a spring.

Kids of this age easily turn over on their stomachs, take toys in their hands, can crawl a little to the toy in front of them, babble for a long time, learn to eat from a spoon.The "speech" of the toddler is so diverse that it is quite comparable with the babble of full-term babies. If the baby was born for a period of 35-37 weeks, the first teeth begin to be cut.

By this age, the baby had already fairly well learned to control his own body. He deliberately turns over, stands on all fours and sways, trying to sit down and crawl.

At this age, many kids are already able to sit on their own, and also begin to climb on their feet, holding onto the railing of a crib or playpen, and then sit back. The first teeth appear at the tots born on the term of 32-34 weeks.

When the baby is awake, he is engaged in toys for a long time. The child can already fulfill simple requests, for example, wave at parting or give a hand to say hello. Short words or only the first syllables of words appear in the peep's “speech”. The kid learns to reproduce the intonation of the speech of an adult.

By this age, most babies learn to stand on their own and, holding onto the fence, move along it. The first teeth appear in babies born before 31 weeks.

Do karapuz already obtained a long hold on the toy, which is moving. Especially interesting to the child a variety of liners and balls.

Some kids at this age make their first steps. Those children who are not ready to walk yet crawl quickly, get up easily and sit down. Kids of 11 months really like cubes and pyramids, as well as various gurneys and cars. The child knows a lot of everyday activities and performs them upon request. In his speech, there are many short words for animals and objects.

By the year, premature babies are almost the same as non-born toddlers with neither physical indicators, nor psycho-emotional development, nor acquired skills. In some babies, the movements may be too harsh and uncoordinated, but in general the children of this age are very mobile and active.

Read more about the development of premature babies in the following videos.