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Micro Preemie - What You Should Know If You Have One
A baby, born before completing 27 weeks of gestation period or a baby whose weight is very less due to preterm birth is considered to be a micro preemie. As the expectant mother knows that preterm labour has a lot of risks, she should consult a foetal medicine specialist to delay the process of delivery and prolong the pregnancy period. The medicines prescribed orally or vaginally help to delay the labour of the expectant mom.
What is a Micro Preemie?
A premature baby born before completing 26 weeks gestation period or weighs under 1.12 lb is called a micro preemie. For the micro preemie to thrive, you must know in advance that these babies are very different from full-term babies and their emotional and physical needs have to be catered to with great care and caution.
What Are the Causes of Giving Birth to a Micro Preemie Baby?
When a pregnancy ends early, it is difficult to assess the reasons, but one can say for sure that many factors combine to cause preterm birth. There are two categories of preterm labour – spontaneous preterm birth and medically compelled delivery. Some of the causes are given below:
Any systemic inflammation or infection in the kidney, vagina, uterus, or mouth can cause spontaneous preterm delivery.
Nicotine or any kind of tobacco prevents nutrients and oxygen from reaching the baby, thereby forcing preterm delivery.
If the pregnancies are less than six months apart, it presents a high risk of delivering a preterm baby.
It can also happen due to a genetic history in the family.
If the cervix is insufficient or there are any other cervical problems, this can be the reason too.
Survival Rates of Micro Preemies
Micro preemies are very weak and fragile and so need a lot of monitoring and care. Utmost care is required to help the baby survive. The table given below indicates the survival rate depending on the week the baby was born:
26 weeks
More than 90%
25 weeks
75% to 80%
24 weeks
66% to 80%
23 weeks
50% to 66 %
22 weeks or less
Only 10%
How Does a Micro Preemie Look?
A micro preemie baby looks very tiny and weak. Their veins may be visible on their body, and their skin looks very thin and appears sticky or gelatinous.
In the NICU, they are also connected to various pieces of equipment, tubes and wires to help them sustain. You'll see wired stickers on the baby's legs, arms, feet, wrist or chest. There will also be a monitor attached to the umbilical artery IV line to measure blood pressure. Some may also have tubes in their mouth connected to a ventilator to help them breathe or are put on the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). OG/NG tubes will be attached to the baby's mouth (OG) and nose (NG) to help with the feed.
Immediate and Short–term Health Concerns for Micro Preemies
Micro preemies are treated in NICU as they need a lot of external support. Some of the immediate and short-term concerns are given below:
1. Infections
Premature babies have an immature immune system. Infants get infections from the intravenous lines that are inserted in their weak bodies. Sometimes they catch a cold from a person who is suffering from cold. Good hygiene should be ensured to avoid it.
2. Support for Breathing
Premature babies do not have strong lungs to breathe on their own. They either help them breathe by intubating them or use a CPAP device which is non- invasive and less injurious to the lungs.
3. Issues with Feeding
The baby’s feeding and growth are one of the most important things to be monitored in the NICU. They are prone to vomiting, and so they are fed a very small amount of food to help the gut mature. After their gut attains maturity, they are introduced to formula feed.
4. Injury in the Brain
Micro preemies are always at high risk of brain bleeding. Brain ultrasounds are done to check whether the bleeding is mild or severe. The risk of severe brain bleeding can be neurodevelopmental disorders or cerebral palsy.
5. Problems in the Eye
When babies are born before the gestation period is complete, they may develop a condition that affects the retina’s blood vessels. As they are put on the high amount of oxygen for a prolonged period of time, their eyesight gets affected, and some require glasses as an aid to see clearly.
How Long Are Micro Preemies Kept in the NICU?
Babies who are born before 27 weeks are made to stay in NICU until they complete the full tenure of development or sometimes even more. They often require respiratory support with a ventilator, a CPAP or a nasal cannula. They also try to keep the baby nourished to gain weight and growth of the organs. This support is impossible to provide at home, and so their stay in NICU is a must during this time.
Long-term Health Issues in Micro Preemie
Micro preemies may develop some long-term health issues which are given below:
1. Learning Disabilities
Babies tend to develop physical, mental and emotional handicaps. They end up with cognitive problems, learning or behavioural problems.
2. Problems in Digestion
Some babies end up with food refusal, poor feeding, and many other digestive problems.
3. Hearing or Vision Problems
As complications of premature birth can be severe at times, they may ultimately have permanent hearing or vision loss, or related problems.
4. Lung Disease
Preemies require artificial respiratory support which sometimes leads to asthma or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disease.
5. Cerebral Palsy
Some preemies may severe or moderate cerebral palsy.
How Parents Can Help in Improving Their Baby’s Outcome?
Parents can play a positive and significant role in their micro preemie's development and to give their babies the best possible start.
1. Early Intervention
Parents should try to minimize the cognitive impact of prematurity by seeking early intervention.
2. Know the Signs of Preterm Labour
Expectant mothers should seek medical care the minute they get an inkling that they might have a preterm delivery.
3. Deliver in a Hospital With NICU
You must identify a good hospital with a level 3 NICU along with 24x7 neonatology coverage, so that the child can avail of the best postnatal care.
4. Early Prenatal Care
You must try to minimize the risk of premature birth by taking prenatal care. Micro preemies are babies born long before the due date and hence, need neonatal intensive care.
Also Read: Your Premature Baby- Developmental Milestones Till Age 5
Health Problems in Premature Baby Read more
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When and How to Tell Your Child That He/She is Adopted
Adoption is something that everybody may not be comfortable talking about. The sheer thought that a child may behave differently after knowing that he or she is adopted may make many parents sceptical whether to tell or not to tell their kid that he was adopted. If this is the dilemma that you are facing, understand all about talking to your child about adoption, when, why and how to divulge the information to your child.
When and Why to Tell Your Child That He Is Adopted?
It is very reasonable for any child to pop the question regarding his existence and he may be interested in knowing where did he come from? So, at this juncture what should you do? Well, not telling a child they are adopted may not be the correct approach because this way you may be encouraging ill-feelings regarding adoption.
But you may wonder what may be the best age to tell a child they are adopted. We recommend that as soon as your kid comes to an age where he may be able to understand and comprehend better, you can tell him about his adoption. Divulging the information at a younger age is most likely to protect your child from learning the information from other sources, which can be extremely scarring for your child’s emotional health. The parents should positively talk about adoption and at the same time, they should make their child feel loved and wanted. However, refrain from rattling out the gory details about their birth parents as it may confuse and scare the child.
Apart from the love and attention that you shower your kid with, it is also essential to help the child understand why his birth parents were not raising him. Closures are necessary, even for the kids and if you explain positively, it may help them understand adoption better and that too without having any emotional insecurity regarding birth parents or foster parents.
How to Talk to Child about Adoption
Wondering how to break the ice regarding adoption to your child? Well, following are some of the recommendations that you may consider when you plan to talk to your child about adoption:
As discussed above, it is important that you plan to tell your child about adoption early in life. Because when a child receives news of this kind from the people who love him the most, he may perceive the information in a better light.
If you are jittery about how to talk to an adopted child about birth parents, we suggest that you do not talk ill about the birth parents but at the same time, positively explain to your child why you decided to take care of him.
You must talk to your child about his background but keep the information short, positive and straightforward. Such kind of information may help your child know more about himself and thus help him stay away from any identity crises later in life.
It is very important that you explain to your child that being an adopted child does not change any dynamics with you and you will continue to love him the way you have always been.
Make sure he understands how special he is to you and how much happiness he has gotten into your lives as parents.
Be very open about adoption and do not talk about it in a hush-hush manner. Talking about adoption is an explicit manner may not give any negative feelings about adoption to a child. You should talk about adoption in a rational way without making any hue and cry about the whole scenario.
You can use various ways such as storytelling, showing him your love through childhood pictures or simply by role-playing, to explain to your child how he came into your life. This will also make him understand that you have not stopped loving him from the very moment he came into your life.
It is very normal in case you notice your child behaving differently after you tell him about his adoption. He may become angry, sad or have several questions to ask. We recommend that you exercise your patience and be sensitive towards your child.
Your child may fall silent on hearing the truth. This is because he may be processing the information and he may come back to you with questions. Make sure you are prepared for this situation and that you give him the facts in the politest way possible.
Make sure you do not give away any emotions that express any negative feelings towards adoption. This can give your child the idea that adoption is not a good thing. You may find talking about such issues extremely difficult and uncomfortable; however, try not to show such emotions. If you cannot control your feelings, you might as well talk later.
Ensure there are no distractions when you plan to have such this discussion with your child. Ensure that this has your full attention and that of your child as well.
There is no denying that you should tell the truth to the child but you should give away only age-appropriate information and save the complex information for the future when he is old enough to process such information.
Your child may want to talk about adoption again and again, and this is very normal too. Though it may make you uncomfortable, make sure you answer your child’s queries and concerns.
If your child feels angry, frustrated or confused about the whole scenario, you should give him some time to be on his own and think about the fact patiently.
Dealing with such issues can be daunting for both, you as well as your child. However, it is important for you to tell your child about adoption. If you are still unsure or feel that your child may not be able to take the information positively, you can seek the help from a counsellor or an expert in the field.
Also Read: Adoption Options Available in India Read more
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Mommy, Whom Do You Love the Most?
"Mommy, whom do you love the most?" I remember asking this question to my mother when I was about 11 years old. I have two sisters and I am the eldest one. There were times when I felt that my mother loved my sisters more than she loved me. So, one day I asked my mom, “Mommy, whom do you love more among the three of us?” I knew that my mom would say that she loves us all equally. Therefore, I kept a condition that she should choose only one. Then my mom said, “I will ask you one question. You have two eyes, right? Now, tell me which eye do you love more? Is it your right eye or left eye?”
I started thinking and said, "I can’t choose between my eyes because both the eyes are important to me." Then my mom said, “It is the same with me; you three are like my eyes. I cannot choose one. I love all of you equally." On a final note, she said, “You may not understand what I told you now. But, when you become a mother, you will understand better."
Even though I got the answer to my question that day, it is only today that I completely understand what undivided love means because I am a mother to two boys now. My elder son is 7 and my younger son is 1-year-old.
My elder son, when he was 3-year-old, he felt the need for a sibling. My husband and I were not prepared for that. Whenever my son asked us about having a sibling, we asked him to pray that God should give him a sibling. And, he prayed for three long years; the answer to his prayers has finally arrived. He felt very happy and there was no limit to his joy. But, little did he know that now he will have to share everything (me as well) with his little brother.
We prepared him for all the changes that will take place once the new baby comes during the days of my pregnancy. But all our preparations lasted only for a few days. Even though he never expressed it, I could read it on his face that he felt that I loved his brother more. At times, I even felt guilty for not being able to spend time with my elder son. I waited for him to express what he felt. But he never said anything. Maybe, he thought that it will hurt me if he puts forth the question, “Mommy, whom do you love more?" I decided to ask him. I sat by his side and asked him if he ever felt that way, to which he nodded. It was neither a yes nor a no. Then I understood that it was a yes. I explained to him why he felt that way. I told him that his brother was too young and that he needed extra attention and care. I also told him that I used to care for him the same way when he was very young, but that didn't mean that I love his brother more. I told him that I loved them both equally.
After talking to my son, I realized that my mother explained to me the same thing when I was young. Now I understand that love cannot be divided, but it can only be multiplied. And, the love of a mother remains the same for her children.
A mother's love is pure,
Her love is strong,
Her love is unlimited,
Her love is unconditional,
Her love is a sacrifice,
Her love is forgiveness
Her love is never ending,
And her love is undivided.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
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Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. Is it okay if my baby does not pass stool for one day?
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. no need to worry about the frequency and colour of the stool if the consistency of the stool is semi solid to solid.
also there is no need to worry about the smell of the stool if the consistency is normal.
you have to meet the doctor if it is watery inconsistency or hard consistency otherwise semi solid to solid stool is normal.
also passing stool after taking food is normal. r
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 6 months
2 hours ago
Q. Q.Asktheexperta# I m an expecting mother of 29 yrs. LMP 10 Feb 2024 . my husband's HPLC report shows thalassemia minor trait while mine is hb d Punjab trait . can we continue with this pregnancy ??
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
2 hours ago
A. Well you should check with your gynaecologist for that she has to go through all the reports and the issues that you are facing you and your husband and accordingly she can tell you what is the situation how your child is going because lot of things depend upon how the child is growing
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 1 month
1 hour ago
Q. Hi doctor, I had scan on 33 weeks 2 day, it stated that AC and HC Is <2.3% which is corresponding to 31 weeks. So overall growth of baby avg is 31 week and 2 days.
will there be any issue with the baby.I have attached my report
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
29 mins ago
A. For the query asked needdhs consultation with doctor for proper guidance so it is better that the doctor will guide you the correct way .
Online consultation can also be taken and the expert will give you the proper answer .
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
58 mins ago
Q. I am having pain on my right breast while breastfeeding. Latching position is correct. it is a mix of burning sensation and pain. Pain lasts for few minutes after breastfeeding also
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
56 mins ago
A. nipcare ointments ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 4 months
56 mins ago
Q. When baby movement starts??
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
29 mins ago
A. 5-6 months ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
32 mins ago
Q. hello dr..I am 39 weeks 3 days pregnant, AFI level 8 is this normal?and normal delivery possible for me? Is the fluid enough for up to 1 week?Do I need a drip? please suggest me.
Dr Ghouse
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29 mins ago
A. the levels are on the lower side. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
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