Small Actions; Big Impact
This world prematurity day, we are thinking of all the tiny warriors who fight to come into this world and the families who support them.
A baby is considered premature if they were born before 37 weeks gestation. The earlier a baby is born, the more complications they may face. Families may be able to leave the hospital with their premature baby after a few days, others may be required to stay in for months.
The birth of a premature baby puts most parents on a pathway they didn’t envisage. Preparations may be cut short; birth and feeding plans go out of the window; bonding time may be disrupted, and suddenly there is a huge amount of new information to process and make sense of. It is an overwhelming and frightening time.
You may feel hopeless, but the smallest of actions can have a big impact on outcomes.
Impact on Parents
Having a baby is hard enough. Having a premature baby adds so much more stress to the parent’s experience. Mothers are often unable to rest or recuperate after a birth that may have been traumatic. They are now required to visit their baby, possibly pump milk for them and manage the fears that go along with having a sick or vulnerable infant.
Other family members may feel helpless, siblings may be upset and confused about why they can’t see the new addition to the family. Coordinating visits, schedules and feeding, whilst navigating a whole new world of medical terms and knowledge is really difficult. Most families we’ve worked with talk about how they just ‘go through it’ day by day. Adrenalin is high and they are in survival mode. Sometimes the emotional impact of the situation doesn’t hit them until they are out of the danger zone.
➡️Action: Ask for help, even if your baby is okay now.
Bonding is important
Interactions with your baby may be limited or miles away from the picture you’d envisioned. As a parent, you can feel helpless and usure what to do to help. Your baby still needs you though. Hearing is one of the first senses to develop in the womb and baby will be able to recognize their mother’s voice and be soothed by it. Talk and sing to your baby. It has such a positive impact.
Depending on baby’s health, you may be able to hold your premature infant. Skin to skin contact (known as kangaroo care) is an absolutely magical way to connect with your baby. Simply by being close to their parents, baby is often able to regulate their breathing, temperature and heartbeat. The healing properties of Kangeroo Care are well documented and you can find out more by downloading this WHO publication: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241590351
Your baby can recognize your smell. In some cases, you may be able to leave a small comforter or toy with your baby, something that has been kept close to you and has your smell. Some hospitals use fabric hearts as a comforter between mum and infant.
➡️Action: Talk, Touch, Connect. You are making a difference.
Adjusted Age
The journey of a neonatal warrior doesn’t stop once they are discharged home. They may have ongoing health issues or a sensitive nervous system that needs time to adjust.
Even infants who are discharged in full health, are referred to as having an ‘adjusted age’. This is your child’s chronological age, minus the amount of weeks they were born prematurely. Remember; a full term baby has done a lot more growing in the womb. When a baby is born early, we need to make adjustments for that and that may influence when they meet certain developmental milestones. Professionals may refer to the adjusted or corrected age for the first two years of life. If you are worried about your little one being behind others their age, return to their adjusted age and check what is developmentally appropriate.
You can find out more about this here: https://raisingchildren.net.au/newborns/premature-babies-sick-babies/development/corrected-age
➡️Action: Know your baby’s adjusted age.
Sensory Challenges
Infants born too soon are prone to having sensory challenges in early childhood.
The sights, sounds and smells of a neonatal unit can be overwhelming, even for an adult. Our infants’ immature nervous systems, struggle to make sense of their new environment. This overstimulation can cause disruptions to the way they process sensory information. Luckily, brains are resilient, and support and therapy can help your child manage their challenges as they get older. An Occupational Therapist can assess your child’s sensory profile and develop a plan to help.
Use of tube feeding and disruptions to oral-motor development, can often impact feeding later down the road. Usually, parents only become aware of these issues when it comes to starting solids or managing picky eating. Support and therapy can assist with these concerns.
➡️Action: Get support and advice.
If you are keen to know more about these issues or would like advice and support in parenting your preemie, please get in touch. As well as our SensoBaby services, we work with a network of professionals who can support families with their needs.
Useful Websites:
https://www.facebook.com/preemieconnect/
https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/birth/premature-babies
https://www.littlelittleprem.co.za/
References
Jeffries, A. L. 2012. Kangaroo care for the preterm infant and family. Pediatric Child Health, 17(3).
Kamity, R. et al. 2021. Feeding problems and long-term outcomes in preterm infants: A systematic approach to evaluation and management. Children (Basel), 8(12).