Health Library
The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.
Premature Baby
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Learn what to expect and what you'll need to know if your premature baby is in the NICU.
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Is this topic for you? This topic is for people who want to know what to expect when a baby is born early. For information about early labor, its causes, and its treatment, see the topic Preterm Labor. What is premature birth? Pregnancy normally lasts about 40 weeks. A baby born 3 or more weeks early is premature...
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After your infant is discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), you may need to take special precautions for car travel. In most cases the safest way for a healthy premature infant to travel is in a car seat. But some premature infants...
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If your premature infant was born before the gestational age of 32 to 34 weeks, he or she cannot feed by mouth. This is because of: Poor coordination (or lack) of sucking, swallowing, and gag reflex. Weakness of both the oral and stomach muscles. Small stomach capacity. Until your infant becomes stronger and more...
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Routine immunizations Starting at 2 months after birth, premature infants need all the recommended immunizations that full-term infants get. The one immunization that your preemie may not get on schedule is the hepatitis B vaccine, which is usually given at birth. This vaccine doesn't work as well in very small...
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Infants born before 28 weeks of pregnancy are called "extremely premature." If your infant is born this early, you likely will face some hard decisions. Your premature infant has a much greater chance than ever before of doing well. A baby has the best chance of survival in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that...