- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
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- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
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- Usher Syndrome
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- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
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- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
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- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
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- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
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- Hay Fever
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- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
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- Infectious Mononucleosis
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- Kawasaki Disease
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- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Premature Babies
Summary
Almost 1 of every 10 infants born in the United States are premature, or preemies. A premature birth is when a baby is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks.
Important growth and development happen throughout pregnancy – especially in the final months and weeks. Because they are born too early, preemies weigh much less than full-term babies. They may have health problems because their organs did not have enough time to develop. Problems that a baby born too early may have include:
- Breathing problems
- Feeding difficulties
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delay
- Vision problems
- Hearing problems
Preemies need special medical care in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. They stay there until their organ systems can work on their own.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Related Issues
- About Skin-to-Skin Care (Kangaroo Care) American Academy of Pediatrics
- Corrected Age for Preemies American Academy of Pediatrics
- Cranial Ultrasound Radiological Society of North America
- Overview of Early Intervention Center for Parent Information and Resources
- When Your Baby’s in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Nemours Foundation
- Your Preemie’s Growth and Developmental Milestones American Academy of Pediatrics
Patient Handouts
- Apnea of prematurity Medical Encyclopedia
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia Medical Encyclopedia
- Intraventricular hemorrhage of the newborn Medical Encyclopedia
- Necrotizing enterocolitis Medical Encyclopedia
- Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
- Neonatal weight gain and nutrition Medical Encyclopedia
- Osteopenia – premature infants Medical Encyclopedia
- Premature infant Medical Encyclopedia
- Preterm labor Medical Encyclopedia
Specifics
- Apnea of Prematurity (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis Nemours Foundation
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Periventricular Leukomalacia National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) National Eye Institute
- Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN) Nemours Foundation
Living With
- Caring for Your Premature Baby American Academy of Family Physicians
- Caring for Your Premature Baby at Home Nemours Foundation
- Common Parent Reactions to the NICU American Academy of Pediatrics
- Feeding Your Baby in the NICU March of Dimes Foundation
- Grandparents and the NICU March of Dimes Foundation
- Immunizations for Preterm Babies American Academy of Pediatrics
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) March of Dimes Foundation
- Transitioning Newborns from NICU to Home: Family Information Packet Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Watching for Complications American Academy of Pediatrics
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Premature National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Premature, Diseases National Institutes of Health
Find an Expert
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- KidsHealth Nemours Foundation
- March of Dimes Foundation March of Dimes Foundation
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Birthweight and Gestation National Center for Health Statistics
- PeriStats: Perinatal Statistics March of Dimes Foundation
Start Here
- Health Issues of Premature Babies American Academy of Pediatrics
- Premature Babies March of Dimes Foundation
- Preterm Labor and Birth Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- When Your Baby’s Born Premature Nemours Foundation
Encyclopedia
- Oxygen therapy – infants Medical Encyclopedia
- Periventricular leukomalacia Medical Encyclopedia
- Retinopathy of prematurity Medical Encyclopedia
- Transient tachypnea – newborn Medical Encyclopedia
- Visiting your baby in the NICU Medical Encyclopedia
Journal Articles
Treatments and Therapies
- What Are the Common Treatments for Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development