Premature Babies: What You Need to Know

Many women think that it is somehow their fault that they have given birth to a premature baby. Nothing could be further from the truth; provided the mother does not fall in the risk category, it cannot be her fault. Kangaroo Mother Care has provided mother’s with premature babies a means to do something about it.

Mothers of premature babies tend to blame themselves for the misery of their newborn infants. This only attempts to alienate the suffering woman further even though it is not her fault. Babies are born before term due to a variety of reasons, and the few causes that fall under the responsibility of the woman include smoking, drinking and or some other kind of drug use. Other than that, a pregnant woman has no way of consciously determining the fate of her child. Premature babies are born before the 37th week of pregnancy; the earlier they are born the more critical their condition. This is due to underdeveloped organs and the intolerance or inability to withstand the external elements such as heat and cold.

It is for this reason that preemies have to be placed in an incubator and monitored for vital signs. A specific hospital ward is usually exclusively dedicated to taking care of these young ones, and is technically known as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (N.I.C.U). The doctors and nurses who are part of this Unit are specifically trained to care for premature babies. Pre-term children require specialized care due to their sensitive nature for at least the initial few months. The sight of a newborn infant in the N.I.C.U can be a very distressing experience, and parents often breakdown at this sight. Rubbing salt in the wound is the fact that parents are refrained from holding the baby.

In underdeveloped countries, medical facilities are not as developed or as simply unavailable to the masses. In such cases, doctors analyze premature babies on their conditions, and the major factor that comes into play is the gestational age of the baby, or the time since conception. The older the infant at birth; the better the chances of survival. Kangaroo Mother Care is one way to improve the survival prospects. Over the years, an interesting observation has been made: a higher number of babies attained health and defied the odds when there was increased physical contact with their mothers. This occurred despite the fact that only newborns classified as too weak by doctors were treated according to the Kangaroo Mother Care method.

As a result of this discovery, plenty of research has gone into this area with interesting results. It has been noted that infants react favorably to their parent’s touch which increases their chances of survival. It promotes growth hormones and suppresses stress hormones, leading to a strengthening of vital signs. Kangaroo Mother Care stresses on the need for maximum skin-to-skin contact between mum and baby, and the diaper-clad child is placed over the bare chest of his/her caregiver for as long as possible.

Premature babies may start their journey on the wrong foot, but it does not mean that they are condemned to a difficult life in the future. The choices made in the initial few hours or days after birth are crucial in determining the fate of the premature infant.



For more information about Kangaroo Mother Care please visit http://themiracleofkangaroomothercare.com Tony and Nyrie Roos are a resource for natural parenting practices and kangaroo mother care.