Did you just deliver a pre-term baby? Don’t worry; today, thanks to the medical advancements and sophisticated treatments available, doctors ensure that your baby gets the best possible care ever. After a tough pregnancy and a tougher delivery, you will be happy to take your baby home after all his vital functionalities have been restored.
As you might know, a pre-term baby is kept in the NICU, where doctors conduct different tests to assess his condition and give him the right treatment. In this article, we will take you through some of the usual treatments that are given to a pre-term baby.
The treatment for a pre-term baby majorly involves supportive care, medicines,and surgeries (if required). While the temperature-controlled neo-natal incubator and the scheduled feeding routines form part of the supportive care, specific treatments to correct ailments form part of the medications. Doctors perform surgeries on a pre-term baby, only on rare occasions.
These are some of the common treatments that your doctor would provide for your pre-term baby:
The safe setting in the incubator – A special incubator that keeps your baby’s body warm is the first pre-requisite that your baby needs. Don’t worry about your baby; your doctor would assign a dedicated nurse in the NICU, to take care, hold and feed your baby at regular intervals. This nurse will provide 24/7 attention to your kid and also educate you about the correct ways of holding and feeding.
Frequent checks – The functionality of your baby’s vital organs, his heartbeat, breathing, and temperature levels are constantly monitored. Your baby is also given enough nutrient-rich fluids through a nasogastric tube, i.e. through nose to the stomach. Since breastmilk is highly nutritious, the doctors and nurses may even extract your breastmilk and feed the same to your baby for faster recovery. Very soon, he will grow up strong enough to suck on to your breast voluntarily.
One of the most important parts of treating a pre-term baby is having a close check on his fluid levels. A pre-term baby’s fluids, sodium and potassium levels should always be at the correct level. A dedicated NICU nurse ensures that the fluids are correctly passed on to the baby through IV tubes.
Also, the baby is placed under the bilirubin lights to treat if he has jaundice. In some cases, if your baby needs a blood transfusion, then that also forms part of the treatment.
Caring for a Pre-term baby:
Once your baby can breathe without support, has a stable body temperature, is gaining weight slowly, can breastfeed, and is free of infections, he can be taken home. Here are some care tips to follow once you take your baby home:
- Premature babies are more prone to health issues than other newborns. Protect them from infection by avoiding crowded places.
- Your premature baby may need to see the doctor every week or two. Consult your doctor and follow a schedule of checkups to ensure your baby’s health and wellbeing.
- Protect your baby’s health by providing them with immunisations on time.
- Since pre-term babies may eat less, you may have to feed them more often. Also, ask your doctor if your baby needs additional supplements and provide them with the same.
Your care and support along with the doctor’s help will help your pre-term baby recover and develop into a healthy child. In case your baby suffers from any complications or you face any difficulties, your doctor is the best person to connect with.
