The team will keep your baby warm and may help them to breathe with an oxygen mask or breathing tube, and possibly medicine. The health team might use some specialised equipment, for example, your baby may need a neonatal resuscitation bed. As soon as your baby is born, they will care for the baby in your room. Your doctor will discuss this decision with you.Ī medical team from the neonatal (newborn) unit will be there for the birth. However, in some cases the doctor may decide it is safest for you to give birth to your baby by caesarean section. They will usually be born through the vagina. Premature babies can be born very quickly. Steroids will reduce your baby’s risk of some of the complications of being born very early (for example, breathing difficulties). You may also receive injections of corticosteroids 12 to 24 hours before the birth. This allows you to be transferred to another hospital if necessary. When you are in labour, you may be given medicines to stop the contractions for a while. If the hospital where the baby is born does not have an NICU, you and your baby may be transferred to another hospital. The medical team will check whether your cervix has started to open for labour and monitor your baby. How is a premature labour managed?Īt the hospital, you will probably have a pelvic examination or an ultrasound. You can find your nearest suitable hospital on the Miracle Babies Foundation website. If your labour starts prematurely, it’s best to go to a hospital that can care for your newborn, such as a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or special care nursery (SCN). Each day your baby stays inside your womb, the better their outcomes are likely to be. It may be possible to slow down or stop the labour. If you are less than 37 weeks pregnant and you experience any of the signs of premature labour, contact your doctor or nearest birthing centre immediately. What should I do if I experience signs of premature labour? These are signs of pre-eclampsia, which is a common cause of pre-term births.įind out more about the signs of labour. You should also contact your midwife or doctor if you experience swelling in your face, hands or feet, or double vision, blurred vision or other eye disturbances. cramping in the lower part of the belly, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.pressure in the pelvis, as if the baby is pushing down.a sudden decrease in your baby's movements.a 'show' of mucus from your vagina, or a change in your vaginal discharge, or mucous, blood or fluid leaking from your vagina.the birth parent has a history of premature labour.the birth parent has a health condition like diabetes, or an infection.preterm (premature) rupture of membranes, when the amniotic sac spontaneously ruptures (also known as ‘waters breaking’).problems with the placenta such as placental insufficiency, placenta praevia, placenta accreta or placental abruption. birth parent has a medical condition that means the baby must be induced early, such as pre-eclampsia.problems with the cervix, when it is too weak to hold the weight of the baby and uterus so it starts to open prematurely (your doctor may call this ‘cervical incompetence’).However, some of the reasons babies are born prematurely include: Often the cause of premature birth is not known. Babies born between 32 and 37 weeks may need care in a special care nursery (SCN). They will usually be cared for in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) until they have developed enough to survive on their own. Many babies born before 32 weeks, and those weighing 2.5 kg or less, may need help breathing. It is possible for babies born at 23 to 24 weeks to survive, but they are at a greater risk of health complications. Very premature babies are at a higher risk of developmental problems. Most Australian premature babies are born between 32 and 36 weeks and don't have any serious long-term problems. In Australia, almost 1 in every 10 babies is born prematurely. Medical advances have meant that more than 9 out of 10 premature babies survive, and most go on to develop normally. A baby born before the 37th week is known as a premature or pre-term baby.
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