How common is late preterm?

A late preterm birth happens between 34 and almost 37 weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks. About 8% of all births in the U.S. are late preterm. Babies grow about a half-pound each week during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy.

What are late preterm infants at risk for?

Late preterm infants are at increased risk of various morbidities and mortality. The common morbidities include respiratory distress and failure, feeding difficulties, poor growth, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia and hypothermia.

What causes late preterm birth?

In the United States, preterm birth rates continue to rise. Many reasons account for this increase, such as demographic changes, infertility treatments, increases in maternal age, more multiple gestations, increasing obesity rates, and maternal comorbid conditions.

What is considered a late preterm infant?

Late preterm infants are born at a gestational age (GA) between 34 weeks and 0 days, and 36 weeks and 6 days. They have higher morbidity and mortality rates than term infants (GA ≥37 weeks) due to their relative physiologic and metabolic immaturity, even though they are often the size and weight of some term infants.

Can late preterm babies be healthy?

Although many late preterm babies adjust just fine, some have trouble. Even late preterm babies born to healthy moms with no complications may face: Respiratory problems. Respiratory problems occur in 4.2% of late preterm births, but only 0.1% of full-term births.

Do late term preemies sleep more?

Because his brain is growing, he may sleep a lot and not be as alert as a baby born at full term.

Are babies born at 36 weeks delayed?

Babies born between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy are called “full term.” Babies born between 34 and 36 full weeks of pregnancy are called “late preterm” babies. Your baby may look and act like a baby born on its due date, but he is not fully mature and he may have trouble in many ways.

When is a preemie not a preemie anymore?

If born between weeks 38 or 39 to 42, the baby is considered full-term. So, what is considered a premature baby? Definitions differ slightly among medical experts and organizations, but in general, when a baby is born at 37 or 38 weeks or earlier, he is considered premature, and the birth is called preterm.

When does a preemie stop being a preemie?

Newborns who’ve spent less than 37 weeks in the womb are considered premature. A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks.

Are premature babies developmentally delayed?

Most premature babies develop normal language, but their language development might be delayed. They might have more trouble speaking and understanding what’s said to them, compared to full-term children. Language problems can also sometimes be an early sign of hearing, thinking or learning problems.