Premature babies can be fragile. It is therefore important that their healthcare team, including you, handle them with care.
- As their skin is not fully developed, it may have a reddish/purple colour, and you may see blood vessels. Their skin may also feel “sticky” and may bruise or tear more easily than a more mature baby.
- Most premature babies have a lot of soft hair on their skin. This will slowly disappear as the baby grows.
- If your baby is less than 27 weeks their eyelids may be stuck shut for several days after birth. This is normal, they will open with time.
- Premature infants are not confined in the womb for as long, so they are not tucked into a flexed position like a full-term baby. This makes it more difficult for them to move against gravity for a period of time.
- Premature babies have small amounts of muscle and they have low muscle tone making it hard to control and organize movements. It makes it more challenging to change their position if they are uncomfortable or in pain.
- Without support, very premature babies tend to lie with their arms and legs straightened, their head back and their back arched.
(Sarah Hopkins, Flickr CC)
- The organs and senses of premature babies are underdeveloped. In particular, their nervous system is immature allowing your baby to become easily over-stimulated and stressed, resulting in fussiness and making it harder to console them.
- It is common for very premature babies to not move much or, when they do move, to do so in a “jerky” or “startled” manner. This happens because they have little muscle control but more twitchy, reactive reflexes.
- Watch closely for signs of increasing strength and ability such as moving or bending an arm or leg, sucking when a finger/hand is held near their mouth.
- The more your baby sleeps, eats, and gains weight, the more their body will begin to resemble older babies and will start to move as a full term baby would.
Reference:
AbbVie Corporation (Ed.). (2015). Preemie Parent Handbook (4th ed.). Canada: AbbVie Corportation.