Full term babies may not have so much of a problem in terms of their weight when they are born. However, most premature babies may not reach the expected normal range of weight upon birth and the succeeding months of life. It is necessary that mothers know how to take care of their premature and underweight babies. Most often these babies have lower immunity levels and are more prone to health problems. Pregnant women may be able to prevent such problems by going for their check-ups regularly. It is also important that they do not take any medication without the advice of their doctors as at times it can cause problems to their babies’ health as well.
There are certain things that mothers have to do in case they give birth to premature and underweight babies. They can for example try breast feeding their babies as soon as they can after childbirth. Their babies are expected to grow at a faster rate than babies who have reached full term. These babies will then require more nourishment to catch up with their weight gain that is expected for the next months of their lives. Mothers may want to put their babies on bottle feeding but they should try to refrain from doing so as much as possible.
However, there are times when premature and underweight babies have to be fed on tubes because they are not able to such milk from their mothers. In such cases, mothers will have to hold their babies close to them in order to help them feel better. Their tiny bodies need special care especially when lifting them up. These babies also need to be fed more often because their bodies do not also have enough reserve unlike normal babies. Mothers should not let their premature babies to be sleeping on their stomach because of the danger of SIDS.
Mothers may put on a little more effort in taking care of their premature and underweight babies. They have to make sure that everything is clean and that their babies do not get in contact with anyone who is sick. These babies can easily catch infection because of their lower immunity levels so it is best for mothers to prevent any sick person from getting too close to their babies. With diligence and sufficient care, premature and underweight babies can grow and catch up with the rest of the normal babies in terms of physical and mental development.
