The medical community has made amazing advances in the last several decades in caring for premature babies. Many young adults today are living healthy and happy lives thanks to these advances. Despite these medical successes, premature babies continue to require special treatment while in the hospital as well as when they are brought home.

In the Hospital

• Help with Breathing

While the premature baby’s external appearance clearly shows his underdevelopment, vital internal organs are also affected. Most premature babies have problems in breathing. Their neurological systems are not fully programmed. Breathing is not yet automatic, and sometimes simply stops. For this reason, premature babies are placed in isolation in ventilators, helping them to breathe until their lungs and neurological systems development can enable them to breathe successfully on their own. Some premature babies require many weeks in a ventilator until their bodies are capable of breathing reliably. [Read more...]