Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : March 8, 2018 8:14 PM IST
Preterm babies are those born before completion of 37 weeks. They are classified as extremely premature (less than 28 weeks), early preterm (28 to 32 weeks) and late preterm (32 to 37 weeks). In general, preterm babies need more attention and care to thrive and survive. Caring for a preterm needs more care and attention that what is needed for a full term baby. Here are few things that could lead to preterm labour and you can prevent it.
One health crisis that preterm babies are prone to is hypothermia or low body temperature. This is why they are kept in an incubator where the temperature can be regulated. But a preterm baby also needs a mother s touch to bond, heal and nurture. This is why mothers of preterm babies are advised to give them skin-to-skin care, which is also referred to as Kangaroo care. Kangaroo care is a care process in which the mother has to keep the baby on her bare chest to regulate body temperature, soothe the heartbeat and help the baby to calm and adjust in the new environment. This also helps to prevent hypothermia in babies. Kangaroo care also improves a preterm baby s chances of survival. As the main challenge in preterm care is to ascertain to what extent one can replace a physiological in-utero environment with an ex-utero NICU care. Even if the baby is kept in the incubator it is difficult to replicate the environment and the temperature of the mother s womb. Here is why human milk is important for preterm babies.
This is why many hospitals, doulas and midwives believe in this unique caring process. The mother has to spend just a few moments with the baby to initiate Kangaroo care.
How to do it
To give skin-to-skin or Kangaroo care the mother needs to keep the baby on her bare chest precisely placed at the breasts. Ideally, the baby s sensitive skin should be in contact with that of the mother s. The baby should be in the position to hear the mother s heartbeat. This helps the baby to calm down and rest. The mother s body heat helps to regulate the body temperature of the baby. This is why Kangaroo care is considered as one of the important forms of caregiving for a preterm baby. A mother can continue this process till the baby is six or seven months old. It also helps to settle conditions like colic, indigestion and helps to induce restful sleep.
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