The first days at home with a premature baby

Premature babies have to be hospitalized until necessary conditions are met before they can go home. And finally the long-awaited moment comes to be able to take your baby home. We must know that care specific should we have with these babies once we get home. We leave you some tips on the first few days at home with a premature baby.

Premature babies

Un baby is premature when your delivery occurs before the 37th week of gestation, that is, when the pregnancy has not reached term. There are more and more premature babies due to various factors, but thanks to medical advances, the majority of premature children will develop in the same way as a full-term baby.

These babies require more attention than a normal baby. They are not able to maintain body temperature, their digestive system is not mature ... so some instructions will have to be followed. Your doctor will inform you of all the necessary requirements and here we also leave them for those who may have any questions.

Home Care the First Days with a Premature Baby

• Comfortable home temperature. As they do not have body fat, they cannot maintain body temperature. That is why we must have the temperature of your room between 21-24 degrees. Also as far as possible avoid sudden changes in temperature.
• Extreme hygiene measures. Since their immune system is not fully developed, extreme cleanliness and hygiene must be taken. Wash your hands well before touching or feeding, change it every 3-4 hours even if the diaper is not dirty.
• Give breast milk as much as possible. Breast milk is the best there is for strengthen the immune system, helping you fight infection and grow. They need to eat more often, about eight to ten servings a day. Depending on the case, your doctor may also include supplements to increase the calorie intake.
• Control visits. When being at risk of contracting infections, it is necessary to control the people who come to the house. Avoid getting too many people or people with any cold or flu symptoms around each other. Check that they do not pick him up too much or handle him.
• Smoke-free spaces. Children should no longer have to breathe smoke, but premature babies even less. It can have a very negative effect on your still unmatured respiratory system.
• Dream. They will sleep an average of 16-18 hours. Since they are used to a lot of light when they were in the hospital, you can put a dim light near their crib so they don't notice so much of a difference. You can also put something on it that makes music at low volume.
• Outings and walks. You can take them out for a walk only when the moment that corresponds to their birth is reached, as long as time allows. Better in outdoor places where there are no crowds of people.
• Vaccines Follow the normal vaccination schedule.
• If you are the one with a cold. If you have a cold, to avoid contagion, you can put a mask on while you breastfeed so as not to infect it.

When should I go to the pediatrician?

You must go to the appointments indicated by your pediatrician according to your condition when leaving the hospital, as well as the normal vaccination schedule. If you have any questions, your pediatrician can help you solve them.

Another of the great doubts of parents with premature babies is when to take them to the emergency room. You must go to the emergency room whenever you see something strange such as shortness of breath, have a fever, do not want to eat or eat little, have trouble waking up, have a lot of cough, have signs of dehydration, have fairly frequent and watery stools, have seizures, behave strangely, cry excessively or have bad color (like bluish). Thus, any disease can be ruled out when before or if there is one, it can be treated.

Because remember… premature babies need extra care than full-term babies.