SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
24/7 HELPLINE (903) 212-7500
  • PATIENT PORTAL LOGIN

PhyNet Health PhyNet Health

  • Home
  • Find a Clinic
    • Hughes Springs, TX
    • Longview, TX
    • Jefferson, TX
    • Kilgore, TX
    • Lindale, TX
    • Linden, TX
    • Gladewater, TX
    • Lone Star, TX
    • Tatum, TX
    • Marshall, TX
  • Health Services
    • Primary Care Services
    • Physical Therapy / Rehab
    • Allergy Testing & Treatment
    • Chronic Care Management
    • Remote Monitoring Program
    • Virtual Visit
  • Resources
    • MedlinePlus Wiki
      • Health Topics
    • Home Health Coordination
    • Transitions of Care
    • Insurance Help
  • About Phynet
    • About Phynet
    • PhyNet News
    • Better Together Stories
    • Careers
  • Billing

Health Topics

Skip navigation

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You
  • Health Topics
  • Drugs & Supplements
  • Genetics
  • Medical Tests
  • Medical Encyclopedia
  • About MedlinePlus
  • About MedlinePlus
  • What's New
  • Site Map
  • Customer Support
  • Health Topics
  • Drugs & Supplements
  • Genetics
  • Medical Tests
  • Medical Encyclopedia
Español
You Are Here:
Home →
Health Topics →
Premature Babies
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/prematurebabies.html

Premature Babies

Also called: Preemies
On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Living With
  • Related Issues
  • Specifics

See, Play and Learn

  • No links available

Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Patient Handouts

Summary

Almost 1 of every 10 infants born in the United States are premature, or preemies. A premature birth is when a baby is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks.

Important growth and development happen throughout pregnancy - especially in the final months and weeks. Because they are born too early, preemies weigh much less than full-term babies. They may have health problems because their organs did not have enough time to develop. Problems that a baby born too early may have include:

  • Breathing problems
  • Feeding difficulties
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Developmental delay
  • Vision problems
  • Hearing problems

Preemies need special medical care in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. They stay there until their organ systems can work on their own.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

  • Health Issues of Premature Babies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Preterm Babies (March of Dimes Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Preterm Labor and Birth From the National Institutes of Health (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
  • When Your Baby's Born Premature (Nemours Foundation)

Treatments and Therapies

  • What Are the Common Treatments for Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)? From the National Institutes of Health (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Living With

  • Caring for Your Premature Baby (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Caring for Your Premature Baby at Home (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Common Parent Reactions to the NICU (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Family's Role in the NICU (March of Dimes Foundation)
  • Feeding Your Baby in the NICU (March of Dimes Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Immunizations for Preterm Babies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (March of Dimes Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Transitioning Newborns from NICU to Home (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  • Watching for Complications (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Corrected Age for Preemies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Cranial Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • Overview of Early Intervention (Center for Parent Information and Resources)
  • Skin-to-Skin Contact: How Kangaroo Care Benefits Your Baby (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • When Your Baby's in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Your Preemie's Growth and Developmental Milestones (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Specifics

  • Apnea of Prematurity (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Necrotizing Enterocolitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) From the National Institutes of Health Easy-to-Read (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
  • Periventricular Leukomalacia From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
  • Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute)
  • Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

  • FastStats: Birthweight and Gestation (National Center for Health Statistics)
  • PeriStats (Perinatal Statistics) (March of Dimes Foundation)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Premature From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Premature, Diseases From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Effect of oral colostrum application every 2 hours and 4 hours...
  • Article: Investigating the effect of oropharyngeal colostrum in the prevention of late-onset...
  • Article: From Warm to Cold: Feeding Cold Milk to Preterm Infants with...
  • Premature Babies -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development From the National Institutes of Health Also in Spanish
  • KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
  • March of Dimes Foundation Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Apnea of prematurity (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Intraventricular hemorrhage of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Necrotizing enterocolitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Neonatal weight gain and nutrition (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Osteopenia - premature infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Premature infant (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Preterm labor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Premature Babies

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Apnea of prematurity
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
  • Intraventricular hemorrhage of the newborn
  • Necrotizing enterocolitis
  • Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
  • Neonatal weight gain and nutrition
  • Osteopenia - premature infants
  • Oxygen therapy in infants
  • Periventricular leukomalacia
  • Premature infant
  • Preterm labor
  • Retinopathy of prematurity
  • Transient tachypnea - newborn
  • Visiting your baby in the NICU

Related Health Topics

  • Birth Weight
  • Preterm Labor

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Premature Babies is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Premature Babies

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

  • About MedlinePlus
  • What's New
  • Site Map
  • Customer Support
  • Subscribe to RSSRSS
  • Connect with NLM
  • NLM Web Policies
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility
  • Guidelines for Links
  • Viewers & Players
  • HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
  • MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs
  • For Developers
National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health
Last updated July 18, 2024
Return to top

Patients

  • Find a Clinic
  • Health Services
  • Complex Case Management
  • MA / Medicare Assistance

Quick Links

  • Billing Information
  • Careers
  • About Phynet
  • PhyNet News

Network Links

  • PrimeCareHomeHealth.com
  • PrimeCareNet.com
  • PrimeCareManagers.com
  • Core-Rehab.com

Home Office

4002 Technology Center Longview TX 75605
Phone: (903) 247-0484
Fax: (903) 247-0485
[email protected]
  • PrimeCareHomeHealth.com
  • PrimeCareNet.com
  • PrimeCareManagers.com
  • Core-Rehab.com
  • GET SOCIAL

© 2021 PhyNet Health • All rights reserved
YOUR LIFE. YOUR CHOICE.

TOP