technically, yes baby is 4 weeks premature (I've never acutally heard the term preterm used independently from premature - generally in the experience I've had they are interchangeable)
Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade
technically, yes baby is 4 weeks premature (I've never acutally heard the term preterm used independently from premature - generally in the experience I've had they are interchangeable)
Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade
technically, yes baby is 4 weeks premature (I've never acutally heard the term preterm used independently from premature - generally in the experience I've had they are interchangeable)
thanks. u wouldn't know what a 37 weeker would be called would you? since a 37 week baby is full term, so is it right to call him/her 3 weeks premature?
I had my first at 36 wks and I just called her preterm because she wasn't really premature in my eyes really, well actually i rarely called her preterm she jsut seemed normal to me, she came home within 2 days and she was just fine. I would think if your 36 wk baby had some premature issues then the baby was defnintely premature, kwim?
well, it would really depend on the baby and how well s/he's doing. A 37 weeker who has no typical preemie issues at all and is "normal" sized would probably be classified as a full term baby. But a 37 weeker who does have some typical preemie issues (failure to thrive, respiratory issues, etc) would most likely be classified as premature. There's no hard a fast rules at that stage, really -- it's a judgement call on the part of the ob/ped/parents at that point, not like with a 30 weeker that you KNOW is a preemie.
FWIW, all 4 of my guys were technically "preemies" (born at 36, 34, 32 and 34 weeks) and the only two who were really treated and labelled as "premature" were the last two, who both had NICU stays after they were born. My oldest, who was the 36 weeker, was almost 9 pounds at birth and had no issues at all, so even though he was technically (according to dates) a preemie, he was never treated as one (and yes, the dates were correct, because I had a m/c and d/c the month before him)
Totally agree with PPs. My DS was born at 36 weeks at home with zero issues. He was so healthy I didn't even take him into the doctor's until he was 6 months. I know other Mama's with 36 weekers where it's a whole different story. I suppose it's important to factor in error in conception estimate, plus, one baby might be "ripe" at 36 weeks, while another might need 42 weeks. The one that needs 42 weeks would have more issues and be considered "premature" (problems latching for example) if he was born at 36 weeks whereas the other would be perfectly fine.
looks like mine was a preemie, bcoz she had to stay in the nicu due to having forgotten (or so they told us) to breathe soon after birth. she also developed infant jaundice, i think which is common among preemies. and yes, she smiled not at 4-6 weeks, but at 8 weeks +. she had a voracious appetite though, and her birth weight was normal at 6.3 oz.and in all other senses seemed q. normal.
i was looking at What to expect for the 5th month and it seems like she has adjusted her time. cud she adjust so soon?
The way I've heard it is the way several pp's have mentioned. Pre-term is anything before 37 weeks. Premature generally means the baby has/had issues resulting from being born pre-term. My 36 weeker was definitely premature, despite being a nice chubby 6lbs 12 oz...his lungs were not mature, and he spent a week on a ventilator.
I think they do "catch up" faster when they're born a bit later. We stopped using "adjusted age" for him pretty early, whereas it took longer with my 32 weeker. Possibly because the older they get, the wider the range of "normal" becomes for each milestone.
Originally Posted by myjulybabes
The way I've heard it is the way several pp's have mentioned. Pre-term is anything before 37 weeks. Premature generally means the baby has/had issues resulting from being born pre-term. My 36 weeker was definitely premature, despite being a nice chubby 6lbs 12 oz...his lungs were not mature, and he spent a week on a ventilator.
I think they do "catch up" faster when they're born a bit later. We stopped using "adjusted age" for him pretty early, whereas it took longer with my 32 weeker. Possibly because the older they get, the wider the range of "normal" becomes for each milestone.
Thanks so much julybabes. i think it is ab. clear now. someone in the distant family recently gave birth to a 5 week premature girl who was only 3.10oz in weight. they were saying to me that their baby is not premature and neither was mine, their hosp. probably was calling her preterm. i had checked with my gy and dd's pedatrician, one said she was a week preterm since 37 is full term and dd is a 36 weeker and the other said she was 1 mth premature.
preterm = baby born before they are FULL term, but having no problems and no NICU stay
premature = baby born before full term AND having a NICU stay
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