Premature Baby Care
Complications related to premature birth occur in babies born before completing 37 weeks of gestation. Usually, babies that are born early are more prone to congenital abnormalities. The common problems faced by a premature baby are:
- Infections
- Vision-related problems
- Hearing problems
- Chronic health issues
- Birth asphyxia
- Neurological conditions, like seizures and brain bleeds
- Low birth weight
PHS’s experience with managing preterm infants makes us well-suited to identify the root cause before they can cause further complications. Our ability to intervene effectively enables us to deliver a helpful control system for the prenatal conditions listed above. This includes providing growth and nutrition assessments for low-birth-weight babies.
Feeding Problems in Preemies
One of the main reasons your preemie baby may experience problems with feeding is the delayed development of its digestive system. It’s a temporary condition that is certainly not a cause for worry. But it can lead to cascading problems without adequate and timely intervention. Some issues your premature baby may experience are:
- Establishing nipple feeding (even with a bottle)
- Pile-up of gastric residuals
- Abdominal distension
- Acid refluxes (gastroesophageal reflux)
We ease your burden by administering essential interventions to your baby. These include bottle-feeding, tube-feeding, and intravenous (IV) lines. In this way, our NICU follow-up services assist your little NICU graduate in achieving optimum health at the earliest.
G-tube, Apnea of Prematurity (AOP) & Oxygen Therapy
Preterm infants struggle with feeding because their body is unable to coordinate among ingestion, swallowing, and breathing. In time, feeding problems disappear. But the uncertainty of the pace of development makes parents anxious. The difficulties which usually persist at this stage are:
- Problems in the mouth, esophagus, or intestines
- Extreme problems with medication ingestion
- Prone to injury during assisted feeding
- Low oxygen levels in the blood due to developmental issues
- Pathogen induced apneas
Children less than a year old may also suffer from bronchiolitis or pneumonia caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Medically Complex Child Care
Caring for a medically complex child brings unique challenges that require a steadfast commitment from parents. If your baby requires frequent hospital visits and a specific class of medicines to control an ailment, you are dealing with a medically complex child. Although most of these conditions functionally limit a child’s abilities, some can be life-threatening.
The following are conditions that define medically complex children:-
- Functional impairment
- Congenital disorders
- Severe neurological conditions
- Developmental delays and disabilities
Resolving Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) / Babies of Drug Dependent Mothers
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) refers to problems that occur when babies are exposed to opioids for a long time before delivery. Drugs such as heroin, codeine, oxycodone (Oxycontin), methadone, or buprenorphine can reach the baby through the placenta, making it drug-dependent. The following are the NAS-related complications that can affect your baby:
- Prolonged and high-pitched crying
- Seizures
- Yawning, stuffy nose, and sneezing
- Poor feeding
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Sweating
- Constantly fluctuating temperature