Premature Babies

Congenital Abnormalities In Newborns
Some babies are born with certain abnormalities; these are present at the time of the birth of the baby. These are known congenital abnormalities. These abnormalities are a result of problems while the baby was developing in the mother's womb or because of complications during labor or they are hereditary abnormalities. Given below are a few congenital abnormalities:

* Spina bifida: in this condition there is a raw swelling over a portion of the spine at birth. This results in paralysis of the legs either partial or complete, inability to control bladder functioning and inability to feel anything below the spina bifida. In some cases there is a build up and retention of water in the brain and this is know as hydrocephalus. This swelling can be closed by an operation by specialists. To reduce to risk of spina bifida women are prescribed folic acid supplements during the early stages of their pregnancy.
* Umbilical hernias: In this condition parts of the digestive system are lying outside the stomach cavity. This is because the area around the navel is not very strong. Normally cases of umbilical hernias around the navel heal by themselves, if they do not then surgery is required.
* Sickle cell disease: This is a hereditary condition that is most commonly found among people of West African or African Caribbean descent. The hemoglobin in the red blood corpuscles disintegrates at a quicker rate than normal. Hemoglobin is important as it carries oxygen to the different parts of the body. Reduction in hemoglobin causes anemia and blocks blood vessels in the hands and legs and stomach. An attack can last for a few days and can be treated with painkillers. This is also known as Sickle cell disease.
* Cystic fibrosis: This is another hereditary illness in which the tissues in the body produce unusually thick mucus. The commonly affected organs are the lungs, the intestines and pancreas. If the lungs are affected the air ducts are blocked and hence vulnerable to infection. Children with this condition have a inability to digest food completely and have bad smelling bowel movements and constipation. They are well below the normal weight for their age. This illness has no cure, but if detected in the initial stages lung damage can be reduced. These children are susceptible to chest infections and have to be treated with antibiotics. Chest physiotherapy is required regularly to remove thick phlegm.
* Coeliac disease: In this condition the child's intestine reacts strongly to gluten, a protein found in wheat. These children have a severe case of diarrhea, where the stools are fatty, pale and don't flush away. The child does not put on weight as required. The illness can be detected by a blood test. After being detected the child will have to completely give up gluten contain food. Once this is done stools return to normal and the child will put on weight. There is large number of alternative foods available in the market and the child will have to abstain from having gluten for the rest of his life. Once this is done stools return to normal and the child will put on weight.
* Clubfoot: In this condition the foot curves inwards or outwards. All babies are checked for this at birth, especially so if they were born in the breech position, as it occurs more frequently with these babies. Often they can be manipulated into the proper position, with little or no treatment. But if the case is severe then surgery may be required. This condition is also known as talipes.
* Cleft palate: In this condition the cleft lip and the cleft palate are fused, thus the baby is unable to breast-feed. Various support groups will help you deal with the situation and corrective plastic surgery is possible.
* Congenital dislocation of the hip: All babies are screened for this condition at birth and when they are eight weeks old. If this condition is undetected then walking can become a problem later on in life. If diagnosed with this problem then the baby will have to wear a special splint for sometime. Most recover without having to be operated on, but some do need an operation. This condition is prevalent more among girls and breech babies.
* Cerebral palsy: In this condition the parts of the brain that control body movements are damaged. This can happen before birth, during birth or in the first two years after birth. In some cases damage may not be noticed at birth, but as the child grows it may become evident that there is brain damage. It is difficult to pinpoint as to what causes this damage. There are a few tests that can be conducted when the baby is eight weeks old to screen him for cerebral palsy.

Premature babies
The normal term for a baby is 37 weeks. Those babies that are born before this period are premature babies. Modern medical technology has advanced to such an extent that today babies that are born at 23 or 24 weeks can be kept alive and monitored till they reach full term. Babies born at 25 weeks and after have a perfectly good chance of healthy survival today. Special Care Baby Units (SCBU) are designed and equipped to look after sick and early babies. Premature babies have Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) or difficulty in breathing. As the baby is born too early its lungs haven't developed enough to produce surfactant, an important substance that prevents the inner side of the lungs from fusing together. Today the babies are given artificial surfactant. They need special care and are kept in an incubator in a controlled environment and fed through tubes to their stomach.