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Summary
Almost 1 of every 10 infants born in the United States are premature, or preemies. A premature birth is when a baby is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks.
Important growth and development happen throughout pregnancy - especially in the final months and weeks. Because they are born too early, preemies weigh much less than full-term babies. They may have health problems because their organs did not have enough time to develop. Problems that a baby born too early may have include
- Breathing problems
- Feeding difficulties
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delay
- Vision problems
- Hearing problems
Preemies need special medical care in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. They stay there until their organ systems can work on their own.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Latest News
- MRIs Might Help Guide Preemies' Neurological Care (01/18/2017, HealthDay)
- Brain Deficits in Preemies May Start Before Birth (01/12/2017, HealthDay)
- Used Safely, Donor Breast Milk Can Help Preemie Babies (12/19/2016, HealthDay)
- More News on Premature Babies
Treatments and Therapies
- What Are the Common Treatments for Necrotizing Enterocolitis? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Living With
- Becoming a Parent in the NICU (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Caring for your Premature Baby (American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Common Parent Reactions to the NICU (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Feeding Your Baby in the NICU (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Grandparents and the NICU (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Immunizations for Preterm Babies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- In the NICU: Your Family and Friends (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Medical Equipment at Home After the NICU (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Transitioning Newborns from NICU to Home: Family Information Packet (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Watching for Complications (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- About Skin-to-Skin Care (Kangaroo Care) (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Corrected Age for Preemies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Cranial Ultrasound/Head Ultrasound (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- Medications After the NICU (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Overview of Early Intervention (Center for Parent Information and Resources)
- Preemie Milestones (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- What Is a Neonatologist? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- When Your Baby's in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) (Nemours Foundation)
Specifics
- Apnea of Prematurity (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Common Diagnoses in the NICU (Nemours Foundation)
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis (Nemours Foundation)
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Periventricular Leukomalacia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) (National Eye Institute)
- Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN) (Nemours Foundation)
- What Is Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- What Is Patent Ductus Arteriosus? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- What Is Respiratory Distress Syndrome? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Statistics and Research
- Child Health USA 2014: Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight (Health Resources and Services Administration)
- FastStats: Birthweight and Gestation (National Center for Health Statistics)
- PeriStats: Perinatal Statistics (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Premature (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Premature, Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Maternal tobacco use and extremely premature birth - a population-based...
- Article: Interpregnancy interval after live birth or pregnancy termination and estimated...
- Article: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy and risk...
- Premature Babies -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
- March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Apnea of prematurity (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Intraventricular hemorrhage of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Neonatal weight gain and nutrition (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Osteopenia - premature infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Premature infant (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Preterm labor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish