A woman's pregnancy normally lasts nine months. However, in some cases, labor can start prematurely. So, the baby is still not quite ready for life outside the womb and needs additional care. That is why newly-minted parents whose baby was born ahead of schedule must know how to provide the child with everything necessary and what conditions must be created for proper development and active growth. Mom and dad need to clearly understand how to organize the diet of a newborn baby and how to help the baby adapt to new living conditions. In addition, the expectant mother should know which birth is premature. When does the seventh month begin? This is how many weeks? This will be discussed in the article.
Causes of Preterm Birth
A baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature. There are many reasons and factors that can cause premature birth. It is worth noting the most common:
- Isthmic-cervical insufficiency. It is characterized by a pathological condition of the cervix, which does not allow to hold the fetus.
- Various anomalies in the structure of the genital organ of a woman. For example, uterine bicorn, the presence of an intrauterine septum.
- Diseases transferred by a woman during the period of bearing a baby: acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, rubella, etc.
- Somatic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypotension, heart defects and other pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
- Thyroid disease.
- Toxicosis, manifested in late pregnancy and accompanied by swelling.
- Large fibroma or submucous uterine leiomyoma.
Often, premature birth for a period of less than 38 weeks is the result of a Rhesus conflict.
Prematurity Classification
Four degrees of prematurity are distinguished, depending on the gestational age, height and weight of the newborn:
- The first degree of prematurity (mild), in which the baby weighs from 2.1 to 2.5 kg, and the growth is from 41 to 45 centimeters. Infants of the first degree are usually born at 36-37 weeks of gestation.
- The second degree of prematurity is characterized by the weight of the newborn in the range from 1.5 to 2.1 kg. The height of the baby is 36-40 centimeters. With these parameters, babies are born at 32-35 weeks.
- Premature babies of the third degree are infants born at 28-31 weeks of gestation. The weight of the baby does not exceed one and a half kilograms, and the height is not more than 35 centimeters.
- The fourth degree of prematurity includes babies who were born before 28 weeks. These are deeply premature babies, whose weight is less than one kilogram, and their height is less than 30 centimeters.
Most often, cases of prematurity of the first degree are found. These are babies born at 7 months of gestation. This is how many weeks from put forty? The seventh month ends at week 32.
Features of development in prematurity
Parents of a baby born prematurely need to understand that it will not develop like other babies. This is due to the fact that a premature baby has incompletely formed organs. In addition, in the first month or two of life, the weight of a seven-month-old child or a child born at a later date does not increase so intensively, since the sucking reflex is rather poorly developed or absent altogether, and the child cannot independently extract milk from the mother’s breast. If the baby has a second, third or fourth degree of prematurity, he spends the first weeks of life in a special incubator, which receives oxygen and the food necessary for growth and development. The baby in the first weeks of life is carefully monitored by neonatologists. Parents of a premature baby need to understand that the immune system of the newborn is weakened, the body is susceptible to infections and viruses. That is why the staff and parents at first should be extremely careful, carefully monitor hygiene.
Children born early ahead of time later catch up in the psychomotor and physiological development of peers born on time. However, in the absence of adverse factors, premature babies catch up in the development of the remaining babies by the age of twelve months.
Appearance of a newborn born before the due date
Babies born before the due date have several external features, clinical symptoms. The degree of severity directly depends on how long the preterm birth took place.
The skin of deeply premature babies is thin, has a bright red color. It is abundantly covered with primordial grease and fluff. The skin of the baby turns pale only two to three weeks after birth.
The body structure of the crumbs is disproportionate. The head is about one third of the baby’s body, and the limbs are short. The tummy is large, and its surface is flat.
In deeply premature babies, all fontanelles and sutures of the skull are open. The auricles are quite soft, easily bent. The nail bed is not completely covered with nails. Nipples and areoles are weakly pigmented and barely visible on the baby’s body.
In deeply premature babies, the external genitalia may be underdeveloped. As a rule, in newborns of the first and second degree of prematurity, clinical symptoms are not so pronounced.
Premature infants rarely cry and do not exhibit excessive motor activity. If a seven-month-old baby was born, his body weight will be approximately 1.5-2 kilograms. The weight of eight-month-old babies can exceed 2 kilograms.
What to feed the baby
Newly made moms and dads need to know how to properly organize the diet of a seven-month-old baby. Parents should be prepared for the difficulties that may arise in creating the most appropriate food intake regimen. A proper and balanced menu is necessary so that the height and weight of a premature baby are actively added.
The best nutritional option for a newborn baby, regardless of the timing of birth, is breast milk. This is an absolutely natural product, the composition of which fully meets the requirements of the baby's body. It is enriched with nutrients, rich in vitamins.
It is very difficult for a baby who has appeared earlier than the due date to suck mother’s milk from the breast due to the fact that the corresponding reflex is developed poorly or not at all. That is why, in order to fully saturate a premature newborn, parents need to feed their baby with expressed milk from a bottle.
If for some reason breastfeeding is not possible, newly-minted parents acquire special milk formula, which form the basis of the baby’s diet for the first few months of life. For babies who were born prematurely, in pharmacies you can buy special mixtures for premature babies. The components of the product contribute to faster weight gain, stimulate the development of the baby. In addition, special feeding minimizes the risk of allergic reactions. Parents need to consider that you can buy the mixture only after consulting a specialist. As a rule, at discharge, the doctor gives the newly made parents of the premature baby the necessary recommendations and advises which mixture is best to buy.
Feed the baby in the first month from 10 to 15 times a day, in small portions. In some cases, the number of feedings can reach 20. From the second month of life, the number of feedings can be reduced to eight.
After the child reaches the age of six months, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods in order to diversify the daily diet and enrich it with additional useful substances and vitamins. It is strongly discouraged to introduce new products before the indicated deadline, since the digestive system of a young child is not ready for the consumption of any components other than mother's milk or a mixture.
But to delay with expanding the diet of the baby is not worth it. This is fraught with a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. The first lure should be dairy-free porridge. Then, starting from the eighth month of life, you can add vegetables and meat, fresh juices to the baby’s menu. Closer to a year old, the daily diet of the baby is allowed to expand with dairy products. It is strictly forbidden to feed a young child with sweet fruits, add sugar to food.
Weight gain
One of the determining factors in the proper development of a baby who was born earlier than expected is an increase in weight. A good increase can only be ensured with the proper nutrition of the child, which will include all the necessary vitamins and minerals, to satisfy the energy costs of the newborn baby.
Doctors divide the neonatal period in premature babies into three stages, at the first of which the baby does not gain weight, but, on the contrary, sheds. Babies born on time lose no more than 5% of their initial body weight, and the weight of premature babies can decrease by 10%, or even 15% (in deeply premature babies).
At the second stage, the specialists of the medical institution, together with their parents, are trying to achieve a constant weight gain, which should be about 15 grams per day. After the body weight of the child is equal to 2.5 kilograms, the newborn and mother are discharged from the department for premature babies.
At the third stage, the baby's weight is normalized. The last period lasts up to a year. In premature infants, this stage lasts longer depending on the degree of immaturity.
In the first month of life, as a rule, the baby adds a little, on average 200-300 grams. From the second month, weight gain is about 700-800 grams. From the third month to six months, a monthly increase in body weight can reach 800-900 grams. On average, in the first year of life, an infant born prematurely adds about 8-9 kilograms. It is closer to the year that a premature baby catches up with peers in development.
How to care for a newborn born before the due date
In order for a child born earlier than expected to catch up with his peers faster, parents need to know how to properly care for the baby and what conditions it needs to create. Improving the work of organs and systems of seven-month-old children, the development of their psyche is largely dependent on parents, especially in the first year of life.
First of all, parents should take care of the microclimate of the room in which the newborn will live. It should be bright and spacious enough. The air temperature in the apartment or house should be in the range from 20 to 25 degrees. The room should be regularly ventilated. Drafts should be avoided.
In addition, newly moms and dads need to maintain humidity. Its level should be in the range from 50 to 70%. Too dry air often causes a runny nose. A humidifier can be made easier, which can be purchased at any household appliance store.
Some children may need additional warming. For this purpose, a heating pad is ideal.
Hygienic procedures in the first month of life are not recommended for those babies whose initial weight was less than 2 kilograms. Cotton swabs dipped in warm water are suitable for baby skin care. After completing hygienic procedures, you need to wipe the skin of the crumbs dry and use a baby cream.
Bathing babies weighing more than two kilograms is needed every other day in a small bath. The water temperature should be 36-37 degrees. It is best to boil water for hygiene procedures. If desired, you can add chamomile and calendula to the bath. After a few months, the use of special herbal solutions, which can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription, is allowed.
You can go for a walk with a baby born prematurely after an incident three to four weeks after arriving home. The baby needs to be worn according to the weather. In the summer, you do not need to go outside from 11 to 15 hours to avoid overheating. For walks, it is better to choose the morning or evening time of the day.
Do not walk with a baby whose weight is less than three kilograms, at a temperature below ten degrees. After the baby's weight reaches this value, you can take walks at minus fifteen degrees. You should not choose crowded places and territories around which many cars drive. The kid does not need to breathe exhaust fumes. Yes, and this will not benefit the nursing mother.
Care Features
A premature baby requires more attention and precautions when caring. First of all, seven-month-old children, whose development depends more on parents and the environment, should grow up in a favorable environment, in love and warmth.
Clothing and related products (caps, socks, etc.) must be made exclusively from natural materials. Fasteners should be presented in the form of buttons and located on the outside. There should not be tags or labels inside the vests and sliders. They can injure the baby's delicate skin. For premature babies, you need to purchase special clothes, since they are large in undershirts and sliders of standard sizes.
Hygiene products deserve special attention. It is worth giving preference to hypoallergenic compounds, the quality of which is confirmed by certificates. For babies who appeared earlier than expected, there is the possibility of purchasing in the stores of children's goods diapers of zero size, which are intended for newborns, whose weight is in the range from one to three kilograms. There are also diapers for children whose body weight at birth was less than one kilogram.
It will be useful to massage. It will help increase muscle tone, strengthen all ligaments and bones, improve metabolism and the digestive system. Up to a year, a child can be given a massage that includes stroking movements. In any case, before carrying out any manipulations, you must definitely contact a medical institution for the advice of a qualified pediatric doctor. Some parents provide professional nursing care for a premature baby. A medical professional will not only be able to better assess the development of the baby in the first weeks of life, but also in which case, signal to parents about the occurrence of any problem.
Why is it better to give birth to a seven-month-old than an eight-month-old baby
There is an opinion that it is better to give birth to a seven-month-old than an eight-month-old baby. Why? Let's turn to embryology. 7 months - how many weeks of pregnancy? As already noted, this period lasts from 28 to 32 weeks. The child is actually fully formed and may well live outside the womb. However, his organs are not fully developed, the systems do not function to their full potential. Only the stomach and intestines are fully formed. The cerebral cortex is actively developing.
For a long time, doctors argued that the likelihood of successfully nursing a seven-month-old baby is much higher than saving an eight-month-old baby. This is actually a myth. At 8 months, the vital stages of the baby's development are left behind, and he is almost ready for the birth. The only organ that continues to mature actively is the brain. Experts say that the likelihood of successfully nursing a premature baby depends not even on the period at which he was born, but on his indicators at birth. First of all, from the growth of the child and his body weight.
Medicine has gone so far that currently doctors manage to save and go out babies born at 28-29 weeks of gestation. Seven-month-old children, the development of which is not complicated by adverse factors, with proper care and regular monitoring by medical personnel, after some time are able to catch up with their peers.
Prevention of preterm birth
Every woman who has a baby should know about preventive measures for premature birth. This will make it possible to bear the long-awaited baby and give birth in due time.
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Another study that can help prevent early delivery is an ultrasound done transvaginally. Ultrasound allows you to measure the length of the cervix. If the indicator is more than three centimeters, the likelihood of premature birth is reduced to zero.
The woman herself can also prevent early childbirth, and not only during the period of bearing the baby, but also during pregnancy planning. Before conception and during gestation, a woman is best off alcohol and cigarettes. About narcotic and psychotropic substances can not be considered. Do not use any drugs during pregnancy planning. It is also better to refuse antibiotics. Very carefully you need to treat your health directly during the period of bearing the baby. The immunity of a woman is weakened, and therefore susceptible to viruses and infections. Any adverse factor can provoke a premature birth.
During pregnancy, it is best to abandon high-heeled shoes. In winter and spring, when there may be ice on the roads, you need to give preference to boots and boots with soles that do not slip. This will prevent falls and, as a result, injuries. An accidental fall can cause childbirth earlier than the due date.
Conclusion
Preterm birth is a test not only for a woman, but also for a baby. Organs and systems are not fully matured, which means they are not ready for proper functioning. A baby who was born before the 37th week of pregnancy is considered premature.
It is very important in the first year of a baby’s life, who was born ahead of schedule, to carefully monitor the implementation of the rules and standards for its development, constantly monitored by specialists in a medical institution. Moms and dads of a special baby should know how to feed a seven-month-old baby or baby born later, how to properly organize its diet.
Parents need to protect their children. Without fail, seven-month-old children in development should not be exposed to any negative factors.
Modern medicine has come a long way. Doctors have the opportunity to save babies born at 28 weeks of gestation. The likelihood of nursing premature babies and the viability of the fetus directly depends on the initial body weight of the baby at birth, as well as on its vital signs.