If a baby is born before the completion of thirty-seven weeks is called a premature baby. Typically in such cases, the babies are kept under special care in the hospitals because in most cases the health of the baby remains fragile and at risk. However, after the crisis is over, the doctors advise many parents to take the baby home. In such cases, it is very necessary to know properly about the ways of taking care of the newly born.
Here are some health tips that the parents might find useful for taking care of a premature baby at home-
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Discover the best way to feed:
Premature babies might find it difficult to take the food in. that is why the mommy must find a way to feed the baby with the advice of the doctor. The ways of feeding might be normal breastfeeding, pumping the milk out and feeding on the bottle, or giving the baby formula recommended by the doctor.
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Maintain the timetable:
In the case of a baby prematurely born, the requirements of food are typically 8-10 times a day. Keeping that in mind, the mommy should follow a strict timetable with regular intervals.
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Have a thorough record:
It is highly important for the parents to keep a track of the growth of a premature baby. The growth cycle in this case might be a little different than other babies. That is why; having a thorough discussion with the doctor about this is necessary.
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Contact the doctor at the earliest:
Although this is true for any newly born the need for this for premature babies is more acute. Premature babies pretty likely pick up problems like jaundice, anemia, and other health issues. The parents need to check for the symptoms regularly and call the doctor at the earliest.
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Notice the sleep cycle:
A prematurely born baby needs more and more sleep. The parents need to make sure that the baby gets the necessary sleep. Monitoring the sleeping position is also important. The baby should never lie on the stomach. Also, sleeping on a pillow is a bad idea for babies.
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Minimum outdoor exposure:
The health of premature babies remains pretty vulnerable. That is why; the parents need to be extra cautious about the out-of-home exposure of the baby. The baby might catch problems outside the safe environment of the home and this is the reason the baby should not be taken outside if not for medical purposes. Because of this same reason, the parents should restrict visitors at home too.
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Kangaroo care:
In this care process, the mother, father, or caregiver gives skin-to-skin contact care to the baby. This practice is known to promote health. The parents might follow this as per the advice of the doctor.
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Immunization:
The parents should know the way of calculating the age of the premature baby and immunize the baby as per that special schedule.
Taking care of a newly born is always so overwhelming and in cases of premature babies, the parents need to be all the more cautious.
