Pregnancy is one of the most important moments in a woman’s life.
Along with having a pleasant time, you may also feel stressed or anxious. You may have many fears about your pregnancy, and about your and your baby’s health. As you are close to the end you may think about the possibility of your baby being born early. You may think, what if my baby is born at 36 weeks? Will my baby be at any risk?
Normally, a pregnancy lasts for about 40 weeks. Labor that starts before 37 weeks of pregnancy is known as preterm labor. If your baby is born between 20 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, it is called preterm. You may want to know your possibilities of premature labor. It is important to discuss with your healthcare provider about what you can do in case a premature birth occurs.
Possible causes of giving birth at 36 weeks
Preterm birth can be caused by various reasons, including maternal health conditions and lifestyle factors. The cause of premature birth is uncertain in some cases.
Some of the risk factors can lead to premature birth, these include:
– Chances of premature birth are higher if you had a previous history of preterm deliveries.
– The presence of certain health conditions in you or your baby may require an early delivery. This is performed when there is a higher risk of infant mortality if the pregnancy is allowed to continue rather than premature delivery. Unless and until there are emergency conditions, caesarean surgery is only performed after 37 weeks of pregnancy.
– Pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, or blood pressure can lead to premature births.
– Premature birth can also occur in some cases because of consecutive pregnancies with shorter intervals, and IVF.
– Age of the mother is also an important factor. If you are younger than 16 or older than 35 years of age, you are at higher risk of preterm birth.
– Multiple pregnancies (twins or more)
– Urinary tract infections and other bacterial infections also increase your chances.
– Severe health conditions and an unhealthy living environment can also lead to an early delivery.
– Preterm birth can also be caused by poor lifestyle choices such as consuming alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, and stressful and troubled life, like working long hours, being a victim of domestic violence, etc.
What will my premature baby look like?
Full-term babies usually weigh about 3.17 kgs; however, babies born at 36 weeks may weigh less than this. At 36 weeks, your baby can weigh around 2.6 to 3.1 kgs, and the length can range from 44.5 to 48.3 cm. Each preterm baby is different, and some may not appear premature at all. Here are some of the most common features of a preterm baby:
– Skin: The skin may not be completely developed, and may appear shiny, translucent, red, thin, dry, or flaky.
– Hair: Your baby may have scarce hair on its head; however, lots of soft body hair.
– Genitals: The genitals of your baby may be small and underdeveloped.
– Muscle tone: Reduced muscle tone
How can premature birth affect my baby’s health?
Babies born early may have more health problems or may require to stay in the hospital for a longer time than babies born later. These babies may need specialized medical care in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Prematurity can cause long-term consequences for newborns. The earlier a baby is born, the more likely he/she may have health issues. Early detection and treatment of these health issues, and prevention of premature birth, can help babies live longer and healthier lives.
Complications for babies born at 36 weeks
Brain
Premature birth can cause long-term intellectual and developmental impairments in newborns. They can cause problems or delays in the following areas:
Physical growth and development
Learning
Communicating
Taking care of oneself
Interaction with others
Premature birth has been associated with some long-term conditions; these include:
– Cerebral palsy: It is a condition that affects the parts of your brain that controls your muscles. This can lead to difficulties with movement, posture, and balance.
– Behavioral problems: Premature babies are more likely than full-term babies to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is a condition in which a person’s ability to pay attention and control his/her behavior is impaired.
– Mental health conditions: Premature babies are at a higher risk of developing anxiety or depression later in life.
– Neurological disorders: These affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in the body.
Lungs
Premature birth can lead to lung and breathing problems, including:
– Asthma: Asthma is a condition that affects the airways and can lead to breathing problems.
– Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: A lung disorder that can develop in premature babies as well as babies on treatment with a breathing machine.
– Breathing issues: Since the preterm baby’s lungs are not completely developed, your little one may breathe irregularly. The onset of apnea is another possible breathing complication. This is primarily due to an underdeveloped brain, causing the breathing process to stop for some time without receiving a trigger to continue breathing.
– Premature babies may have asthma-like symptoms or long-term lung damage throughout his/her life.
Other complications include:
– Regulating body temperature: Your baby may not have the required amount of fats to be burnt by the body to maintain an optimal temperature for growth. This can cause him to become cold. In the worst cases, it can cause hypothermia as well. Constant temperature monitoring and incubator may be required.
– Feeding problems: The reflex that triggers the activities of sucking on breast and swallowing milk may be weaker in preterm babies as compared to full-term babies. This may cause your baby to fall asleep even though he/she is hungry. When the baby desires milk, he/she may not be able to make a sound or suckling action. Latching onto the breast may also be an issue, since the baby won’t be able to suck the nipple as strongly as he needs to. It may be necessary to express milk and feed the baby using a bottle.
– Infection risk: The immune system of babies is usually weak. Preterm babies are more vulnerable to bacterial infection and illnesses as their bodies are not fully developed. Their low immunity is further increased by their body’s inability to maintain a constant temperature, making it easy for microbes to infect them. As a result, preterm babies have a higher risk of infection.
– Contracting jaundice: Due to underdeveloped livers and weak liver function, most premature babies contract jaundice. Yellow skin and eyes are the most common symptoms of jaundice.
– Dental problems: As premature babies grow older, they may experience delayed tooth growth, changes in tooth color, or teeth that grow crooked or out of place.
– Hearing loss: Babies born prematurely are at an increased risk of hearing loss than full-term babies.
– Intestinal problems: These issues may be caused due to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This is a common yet serious condition that can affect the intestines of a newborn baby. Most newborns with NEC improve; however, some may continue to have ongoing intestinal problems, like scarring or blockage in the intestine. Surgery may be required to treat these problems. Some babies who have had surgery to remove a part of the intestine may have problems absorbing nutrients from their food.
– Vision problems: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disease that affects many premature babies. It occurs when a baby’s retinas do not develop completely in the weeks after birth. Premature babies have a higher risk of developing vision problems than full-term babies.
Caring of your premature baby born at 36 weeks
Caring for a premature baby can differ from caring for a healthy full-term baby. You should keep these things in mind when you care for a preterm baby:
– Skin-to-skin contact: In addition to all the medical procedures and measures you would take to ensure continued support for your preterm baby’s health, creating a strong bond between you and your baby is important. Having as much skin-to-skin contact as possible shows your baby that you are concerned about his/her well-being. Your baby can sense your presence and will love the comforting warmth provided by your body. This connection also aids the baby in calming down and healing faster.
– Breastfeeding: You can start breastfeeding your baby once your doctor says it is okay to let your baby start feeding the normal way. This also necessitates that you continue to express breast milk even if your baby is not having any at first. Breast milk will also boost your baby’s immunity by providing him/her with the required antibodies. If holding your baby and allowing him/her to suck from breast is still difficult, you can feed using a bottle. Formula-based milk should only be used if you are having trouble producing breast milk.
How to prevent premature birth?
There are various strategies that can help lower the risk of preterm birth, these include:
– Avoid exposure to cigarette smoking during pregnancy
– Manage chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and nutrition problems before getting pregnant
– Aim for longer intervals between pregnancies
– Be as healthy as possible before and during pregnancy
– Get adequate prenatal care as early as possible and till your due date. Any signs or symptoms that concern you should be mentioned to your doctor at prenatal visits. If you have a history of preterm labor or develop signs or symptoms of preterm labor, you may require to consult your doctor frequently during pregnancy.
Premature newborns are not completely prepared to face life outside the womb, which is why they should be monitored closely after birth and beyond. Babies who are born at 36 weeks gestation may face various challenges, and it is important to know what to expect. Maintaining your own health during pregnancy and getting appropriate prenatal care can aid in preventing preterm birth and further complications for you as well as your baby.
