9 Guide to care for premature babies at home & bull; hello healthy

Premature babies are babies born before the mother's womb reaches 37 weeks. Born in a month that is not yet even, babies who are born need special handling. Not only that, there are complications that premature babies can experience. Therefore you also need to know how to care for or care for premature babies in the right home as below.

Caring for premature babies requires extra attention

Premature babies usually have a smaller body size than normal babies.

In the first time after birth, the first characteristic of a premature baby you will notice is that they have less body fat so they tend to be underweight.

Therefore, doctors need to maintain body heat with a special tool that functions as a warmer so that the baby does not get cold.

In addition, premature babies usually cry in a voice that is not too loud. It should also be noted that premature babies also have a higher risk of health problems than babies born normally (even months).

Babies often have difficulty breathing and also experience jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), low blood sugar, and a lack of red blood cells to carry oxygen to the baby's tissues (anemia).

Premature babies are also more likely to have infections. Plus, feeding premature babies may be more difficult than normal babies.

Therefore, you as a parent must pay more attention, including in caring for the skin of premature babies.

There are challenges that must be overcome in caring for premature babies so that the baby's health is maintained.

Apart from health, you also have to pay attention to the growth and development of premature babies.

Why? Because premature babies are more at risk of experiencing growth and development delays, as well as learning disabilities.

Home care tips for premature babies

There are many factors that trigger premature babies. Although it is not certain, it doesn't hurt for you to know what causes premature babies to be born.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, babies born prematurely may have health problems and long-term effects that can occur. However, there is quite a lot you can do to treat premature babies.

The following are some things that must be considered in how to care for or care for premature babies so that they are healthy and develop normally:

1. The kangaroo method for premature babies

Continuing to do the kangaroo method at home is very necessary and is one of the ways to care for premature babies that parents can do.

Quoted from the Cleveland Clinic, this one method is a method of treating by holding a premature baby and involves skin-to-skin contact.

Kangaroo method for premature babies beneficial in maintaining the baby's body heat, improving the health of the baby, encouraging the baby to breastfeed properly, and can also improve the bond between parent and baby.

Not only mothers can do the kangaroo method, fathers can also use methods to maintain the baby's health.

2. Breastfeeding premature babies

Breast milk is an important food for babies born both term and premature.

Apart from containing the nutrients necessary for growth, breast milk also contains important antibodies which are needed to protect the baby from infection.

Even though you may have difficulty breastfeeding a premature baby due to his incomplete suction reflex, don't give up on breastfeeding the premature baby.

The reason is, this is one way of caring for or treating premature babies so they grow up fast. In breastfeeding you also need to be careful because your baby can choke.

If the baby has difficulty reaching the nipple, you can give expressed milk that is placed in a special bottle for premature babies.

You can do pumping breast milk as soon as you are born to push the milk out smoothly.

You may need to pump your milk at least 6-8 times per day and make sure not to give yourself too long a break to prevent the baby from becoming dehydrated.

If you find it difficult to pass milk, don't worry, this is a common occurrence. All you need to do is keep trying and instill positive things in your mind to continue caring for premature babies.

3. Prevent babies from infection

Premature babies may have a weaker immune system than even-born babies, making them more susceptible to infection.

Therefore, care for premature babies that needs to be considered is to prevent your little one from the source of infection.

One way to do this is to wash your hands before handling the baby and ask everyone who wants to hold your baby to do the same.

Don't forget to clean toys and baby's room regularly. If you or people around you are sick, try to keep your distance from your little one.

4. Carry out immunizations

Another equally important treatment for premature babies is to adjust the immunization schedule. There is no difference with normal babies, the immunization schedule for premature babies is the same because it is done to strengthen their immune system.

One of them, a vaccine is needed for flu at 6 months of age because there is a possibility that premature babies will experience different conditions from babies in general.

5. Sleep needs of premature babies

Sleep is a basic need of every human being as well as babies. Quality sleep can improve the health of premature babies at home.

Premature babies may spend longer sleep than normal babies, but for a shorter period.

We recommend that you place the baby in a supine position while sleeping. This aims to reduce the risk of sudden death of infants (SIDS).

If you feel that your baby's neck muscles are strong enough after a few months of birth, you can place your baby on his stomach when he wakes up. This can help the baby to support its own head naturally.

6. Monitor growth and development

After the baby returns home, it is important for you to continue to care for and control their growth and development.

You will need to take the baby to the doctor again a few days or weeks after the baby returns home.

The doctor can assess your baby's growth from the baby's weight and assess the extent to which the baby is developing from what the baby can do.

Not only that, doctors may also see the development of the baby's vision and hearing because premature babies are more at risk of vision and hearing problems.

7. Pay attention to the baby's vision

As explained a little above, premature babies are at risk for vision problems. Therefore, the way to care for premature babies that you can do is to do regular checks.

Vision problems that can occur are strabismus or also known as squints. However, these problems usually go away on their own as the baby develops.

Then, it could also happen retinopathy prematurity (ROP) or a condition when small blood vessels in the eye area grow abnormally.

This condition usually occurs at 32 weeks of pregnancy or earlier. Therefore, regular checkups are needed to prevent vision loss.

8. Check hearing

Apart from vision, you also need to take care of your premature baby's hearing in the event of a disturbance. The easiest thing to do is try calling your baby and see if there is a response such as turning or reacting to loud noises.

9. Prepare a breastmilk substitute

If babies in general start to get breastmilk substitutes at the age of 6 months, there is something different for premature babies.

Quoted from Queensland Health, premature babies have different nutritional intake and the guidelines for providing breastfeeding at 6 months of age do not apply.

This method of caring for premature babies begins by providing breastfeeding at the age of 4 or 5 months, which is calculated from the time of birth. Start with smooth foods that are not too thick.

Consult a doctor if you are still confused about calculating the age of the baby because the calculation is different from babies who are born at full term.

Conclusion

When treating premature babies, you can also consult with your doctor about any difficulties found in caring for premature babies at home, such as difficulty breastfeeding for example.

The doctor may also give you some vitamins and iron that your baby needs to support his growth.

Caring for premature babies has many challenges. Therefore, as the saying goes, it is better to prevent than to cure. As much as possible when you are pregnant, take various ways to prevent the baby from being born prematurely.