More than 450,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the United States. That’s about 12% of all births. Premature babies are categorized into different groups depending on their birth weight and gestational age. It can be quite confusing differentiating between the various types. Here is my short and hopefully helpful guide to help you distinguish between the many categories!
Full-Term Baby
Any baby born at 37 weeks gestation or later. These babies typically weigh >5 pounds and are mainly admitted to a newborn “healthy baby” nursery.
Mildly Premature
Any baby born at 35 weeks to 36 and 6 days gestation. These babies usually weigh between 3.5 to 7 pounds; this is considered “low birth weight.” Since they are only 3-5 weeks early, they have a very high survival rate of 98-100%. These babies typically do not have immediate breathing problems or long-term complications. Some might not even need NICU care.
Moderately Premature
Any baby born at 30-34.6 weeks gestation. On average, these babies typically weigh between 2.5-5.5 pounds, which is considered “very low birth weight.” These babies have a relatively high survival rate of 98%. Babies born at this age and size often have immature lungs and require some respiratory assistance initially. The younger and smaller the infant, the more likely he/she will need to be admitted to the NICU. Many of these babies do not have any long-term medical issues.
Extremely Premature
Any baby born between 26-29.6 weeks gestation. These babies can weigh between 1.5-3.5 pounds (also considered “very low birth weight”). Nearly all extremely premature infants have immature lungs and require breathing assistance for quite some time. Although the survival rate is 90%, the risk of long-term complications is higher in this grouping.
Micropreemies
Less than 25.6 weeks gestation. These babies can weigh smaller than 1.5 pounds, which is considered “extremely low birth weight.” Due to recent advances in neonatal medicine, over half of this population can survive. Many will have a number of ongoing problems, however, including visual and neurological deficits as well as chronic lung disease.
As you can see, every extra week and day that the baby remains in utero increases his/her chance of surviving and growing up healthy and strong. Your baby may face many challenges throughout the years, but statistics are just numbers. Every baby is different and has their own unique story! Do not let the “poor outcome” reports that you may read online or in books scare you or discourage you. Many of these sources are inaccurate and do not reflect the latest & greatest advances in neonatology.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? How early was your baby born? What category does he/she fall into? I would LOVE to know! ♥