Advances in neonatal intensive care have increased the survival rate of extremely low birth weight babies (those with birth weights less than two pounds). The smaller or more premature babies are, the more likely they are to have development delays or later difficulties with speech, motor skills, hearing or vision.

“Premature babies also may grow at a slower rate than full-term babies, but many catch up by 2 or 3 years of age,” says Dr. Roy J. Heyne, director of the Low Birth Weight Clinic at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. So what can you do if you have a premature or low birth weight infant?

• Keep a watchful eye. Talk to your pediatrician if you suspect that your child is having difficulties with hearing or vision or if physical or verbal development seems to lag. Ask other relatives and childcare providers to keep watch, too. The earlier problems are spotted, the better. Working with children before their third birthday may help reduce long-term effects. Ask your doctor if your baby would qualify for Early Childhood Intervention Services.
• See your child’s healthcare professional regularly. “Premature babies may not feed as well as term babies, so your baby’s healthcare provider will routinely check your baby’s weight gain, length and head circumference to see that they’re growing properly,” says Dr. Heyne.
• Give immunizations a shot. Premature babies are at a greater risk for infections because their immune systems aren’t completely developed. “They need all the vaccinations term babies do, and on a similar schedule. During the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, ask your pediatrician if your premature baby qualifies for monthly injections of Synagis,” says Dr. Heyne. Synagis is a monoclonal antibody that lasts for about 28 days and protects against different strains of RSV. Also, since influenza can be more dangerous in premature babies, family members should receive a flu shot during flu season to prevent getting the flu and passing it on to the baby. Premature babies also can receive the flu shot if they are older than 6 months old.
• Keep it clean. Family members and caregivers should wash their hands often to head off coughs, colds and other contagious ailments. Please stay away from malls and minimize public contact with your premature infant. Never smoke in the house, especially if your little one has chronic lung disease.
• Seek help if needed. Community agencies can help you with the special needs of premature babies. A healthy, stimulating and safe home environment can help your baby flourish.