Premature Delivery of a Baby

A premature birth is the single leading cause of death in newborns. A premature delivery can occur in weeks 26 through 36 of the pregnancy. A pregnancy is considered to reach full term in approximately 38 weeks. Because the baby is not fully developed during the period of week 26 through week 36, there is an increased risk of brain injury or lung injury. Some of these risks can be reduced by the use of steroid injections, which will help speed up the development of the brain and lungs. After the delivery, the baby will be placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU specializes in the care of premature or ill infants. Mother's who are expecting a premature delivery should seek out a hospital with a NICU. Any delivery below 26 weeks is usually considered non-viable and will likely result in permanent neurologic injury to the baby.

A baby born before week 34 will usually require some ventilation assistance. Since the lungs normally mature between weeks 32 and 34, a baby born before week 32 will likely suffer from hypoxia or lack of sufficient oxygen flow to the brain, due to the immature lungs. The risk of brain injury to a premature baby lowers as the age of the baby increases. A baby born after 34 weeks of gestational age for example, usually has a low risk of brain injury with long-term consequences. Treatment for a patient who has premature labor is designed to delay labor and delivery, at least until after 32 weeks.

If a woman goes into preterm labor, it does not necessarily mean she will have a premature baby. If there is a complication that is going to affect the mother or baby in a dangerous way, the doctor may decide to perform a cesarean section or induce labor early, even if it is before 37 weeks. If you or a loved one experienced a premature delivery or birth injury as a result of doctor or medical staff negligence, you may have a case for medical malpractice. If this is the case, you should seek out the services of a child attorney who specializes in birth injuries.