Babies Needing Special Care

A baby in special care tends to sleep much of the time, and it can be difficult to feel you are 'doing' something for him.

If your baby is born at 37 weeks or before, she's arrived 'pre-term'. Babies born this early have different needs from babies born later " the sooner a baby is born, the more specialist care she needs. This article also appears on www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/having_a_baby

Bond with your baby

The main risks for pre-term babies are infection and breathing difficulties. Their breathing and heart rate needs to be carefully observed, to allow a quick reaction, from medical staff, if needed. A lot of the equipment in special care is used to measure breathing, temperature and heart rate.

"...hold your baby as much as you can..."

Incubators

Babies born pre-term may need to spend time in an incubator. It will monitor and maintains your baby's heat, but you will still be able to touch it and have some physical contact with your baby.

Jaundice

Some babies are jaundiced for up to two weeks after the birth. This is common in newborn babies due to their livers being immature, but is perfectly normal. However, if your baby is still jaundiced after two weeks you should consult your doctor.

Babies with disabilities

If your baby is disabled, it is important that you discuss your feelings with others. You are likely to feel a range of emotions, from love to anger, which is understandable, but it is important you are aware of your baby's immediate and future prospects.

You can ask for help from:

• your doctor, health visitor or hospital paediatrician
• local social services departments for information about organisations that may be of benefit.

Remember, you are not the only parent in the world with a disabled child. Many organisations have self-help groups run by parents. (See Support for you for a list of organisations.) Talking to others in a similar situation could be beneficial to you and how you approach the long-term development and care of your child.

A baby in special care tends to sleep much of the time, and it can be difficult to feel you are 'doing' something for him. But there's plenty you can do.

• Hold your baby as much as you can, skin to skin. In some special care units, you'll be encouraged to give 'kangaroo care' which means your baby is tucked 'inside you', feeling your warmth, hearing your heartbeat, and smelling your scent. Babies held like this have been shown to gain weight more quickly than babies cared for in the special care cot all the time.
• Start to stimulate your baby's breastmilk supply. Express breastmilk, which he can take by syringe, tube, cup or bottle. Breastmilk reduces the risk of infection, and nourishes your baby with milk that's especially suited to her needs now. Some babies may need more breastmilk than you can produce at the moment; they may be able to have donated human milk, or pre-term formula milk.
• Talk and sing to your baby quietly. Whether your baby is asleep or awake, she will be calmed just hearing your voice, and will feel 'at home'. She's heard you and your partner's voices in the uterus, and should 'know' it is you.

Why do some babies come soon?

Sometimes, there's no obvious reason for pre-term labour. Some possibilities are:

• the baby isn't growing well because the placenta isn't nourishing her properly
• the mum may have an infection
• that twins or triplets stretch the uterus because of the extra size and weight, and this starts contractions (often, you may be advised to be induced and not wait for labour to start)
• a weakness in the cervix which means it doesn't stay closed.

If you think you are in labour, because you start contracting, you realise your waters have broken, or if you are bleeding, contact the hospital.

If your labour is very early, you may be able to stall it for a while with drugs to slow down or stop the contractions. Pre-term babies are at risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS); giving injections of drugs called corticosteroids to the mum can reduce the risk of this happening, because they help to mature the baby's lungs.

Sometimes, pre-term labour is deliberately induced. This might happen if it's thought the baby has a better chance of survival outside the uterus or if the mum has a threatening condition such as severe pre-eclampsia or eclampsia.

"It was very distressing, seeing him in the cot, knowing he was ill and wishing I could do more for him. It took a while to get over the idea he was fragile, even when he came home. It took weeks to feel relaxed with him - but over time, things got better and I realised he wasn't weak any more, but as strong as any other baby."

"I found speaking to the other parents was quite hard. We were all so wrapped up in being anxious about our babies. It was a lonely time."