We usually say that the birth of a new life is a pregnancy in October, but due to many factors, some babies will arrive early, and the incidence of premature babies has become higher and higher in recent years.
Premature babies, also known as immature babies, refer to newborns who are less than 37 weeks old, less than 47 cm tall, and most of them weigh less than 2500 grams. Premature babies are not mature in morphology and physiological functions due to insufficient gestational age. So, what are the differences between premature babies compared to term babies?
Differences in appearance
Premature babies have more fetal hair, the skin is very soft, pink, some will even be purple, the skin is very thin, even can see the blood vessels, facial skin is loose, wrinkles are more, the outer ear is very thin, even can not stand up, fontanelle is relatively large.
These characteristics are caused by the fact that the baby has not yet fully grown, and as the baby grows, the body will continue to mature and will grow in line with the full-term baby.
Weight differences
Newborns generally weigh less than term infants. Babies with a birth weight < 2500 grams are collectively referred to as low birth weight babies. Premature babies with a birth weight of 1000 g to 1499 g are very low birth weight babies. Premature babies with a birth weight < 1000 g are ultra-low birth weight babies.
However, premature babies generally grow much faster than full-term newborns, and when a full-term newborn is 1 year old, it weighs about 3 times that of birth, while premature babies are born with low birth weight, if properly fed, they grow and develop quickly, and the weight growth multiple is higher than that of full-term babies. Due to the rapid growth, it is necessary to pay attention to calcium and vitamin D supplementation to avoid deficiency and rickets.
Functional differences
Premature infants' body temperature regulation function, respiratory function, digestive function, liver and kidney function and immune function are lower than that of term babies, the immaturity of the nervous system is manifested as poor response, less activity, small or no crying, low muscle tone, etc. These characteristics of premature babies will cause some pathological problems, so premature babies need to pay close attention after birth.
Premature babies usually promote lung injections to promote lung function development, in addition, doctors also through the incubator and other measures to keep the baby warm, under the care of medical staff, the baby will soon develop perfect.
Immunity differences
Premature babies due to premature birth, the development of various organs of the body is not very mature, the ability of white blood cells to devour cells is worse than that of term children, the content of plasma gamma globulin is relatively low, so it is easy to be infected by bacterial viruses, and some minor infections may cause adverse consequences.
But as they age, the situation quickly improves, and the immunity gained from the mother also helps them adapt quickly to the outside environment.
Although the premature baby is born small, parents do not have to worry too much, as long as they are properly cared for, they will soon keep up with the full-term baby, and when they grow up, there is no difference between the constitution and immunity of the full-term baby.