The most common diseases of premature babies – respiratory distress syndrome, delayed development, enteritis

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A premature baby is a child who was born prematurely, namely between 22 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. It was not able to fully develop into life outside the mother’s organism in such a short time. Preterm labor can be triggered by many factors. Most often it will be stress, work overload of a pregnant mother, infections. The prognosis for a premature baby and its health problems will vary depending on what week it is born.

The causes of diseases in premature babies

Premature babies typically weigh 1700-3300 g or less. Their length does not exceed 45 cm. The body of the premature baby is covered with fluff, the skin is very thin, red, wrinkled due to insufficient amount of subcutaneous tissue. The little ones usually stay in incubators due to the underdeveloped ability to maintain a constant temperature. Children usually have little mobility due to excessive muscle laxity. They are exposed to many complications resulting from prematurity. The most common are problems with independent breathing, heart problems, infections, immature nervous system and, consequently, impaired psychomotor development.

Read more on preterm labor

The most common diseases of premature babies – RDS respiratory distress syndrome

This syndrome is caused by an insufficient amount of surfactant in the baby’s lungs. Lack of this substance in immature lungs causes the alveoli of the lungs to stick together, causing their hypoxia and necrosis. As a result, they thrive breathing problems and eventually respiratory failure occurs. It is the cause of most deaths among newborns. Administration of corticosteroids at the time of risk of preterm labor (between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation) is effective in reducing the incidence of this syndrome. Its treatment takes place in intensive care units under the strict supervision of specialists. Depending on the intensity of symptoms, oxygen therapy, intubation and artificial ventilation are used, as well as administration of a surfactant to relax the lungs.

The most common diseases of premature babies – bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Children weighing 700-800 g, this condition affects even 65%. Dysplasia results from the use of artificial respiration in premature babies due to the occurrence breathing disorders. The first symptom of this condition is that the child does not start breathing, so it is difficult to disconnect the child from the ventilator. Oxygen delivered in this way and high pressures damage the immature respiratory system.

The most common diseases of premature babies – patent ductus arteriosus Botalla

The Botalla duct connects the fetal aorta and the pulmonary trunk. After the baby is born, it usually closes spontaneously within 48 hours. In premature babies, it often remains patent, which has many consequences. The oxygenated blood from the pulmonary trunk mixes with the oxygenated blood from the aorta. The consequence of this is less oxygen supply to the tissues. The symptom of a patent ductus arthrosis is a machine-systolic-diastolic murmur. Treatment of this ailment is based on application drugs that lower the level of prostaglandins working expanding the lumen of the Botalla duct. The pipe closes and grows together. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and indomethacin are used. If this method is not effective, cardiac surgery is performed as a last resort.

The most common diseases of premature babies – NEC necrotizing enterocolitis

This disease affects premature babies due to the immaturity of their digestive tract. Symptoms begin around 2-3 weeks of age, with abdominal distension, tenderness, vomiting and bloody stools. Sepsis can develop in the most severe cases. Treatment includes discontinuation of oral feeding, administration of intravenous nutrition and antibiotic therapy.

The most common diseases of premature babies – intracranial bleeding

Very early birth may occur in babies with low body weight bleeding into the ventricles of the brain. There is apathy, apnea, decreased muscle tone, convulsions, sometimes symptoms are not visible. The disease is detected by ultrasonography. The prognosis and treatment depend on the degree of bleeding.

Epidural ultrasound – characteristics and indications

The most common diseases of premature babies – delayed development

The development of premature babies is usually delayed compared to babies born on time. Occur difficulties in maintaining an independent sitting position, delay in unassisted walking. Characteristic for this group of children is dissonant motor development. It is assessed on the basis of the corrected age, i.e. the number of weeks for which early termination has been made is subtracted from the birth age. It is imperative to exclude any visual and hearing impairment that could be an additional cause that may interfere with development. Constant care and constant monitoring of children’s development are essential. Cerebral palsy is a common neurological disease in premature babies. Its risk is 40 times higher in premature babies. Early detection and initiation of therapy gives a good chance to improve the child’s functioning.

Find out more about cerebral palsy

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