32 neonatal guides
Premature babies
The neonatal unit, corrected age, feeding a preterm baby and going home — with the sources named on every clinical claim.
PrematureApnoea and MonitorsWhat apnoea of prematurity is, what A's and B's mean, why caffeine is given, when it stops, and why…PrematureBaby Transferred to Another HospitalWhy neonatal babies get moved between hospitals, including cot shortages, how the transfer is done,…PrematureBlood Tests in Neonatal CareWhat each neonatal blood test measures, why heel pricks are so frequent, how repeated sampling…PrematureBlood Transfusion for a Premature BabyWhy premature babies become anaemic, how much of that is caused by testing, what a neonatal…PrematureBorn at 24 WeeksBorn at 24 weeks, your baby is at the edge of viability. Here is what the team offers before and…PrematureBorn at 26 WeeksBorn at 26 weeks: what the neonatal team does in the first hours, the screening that follows, and…PrematureBorn at 28 WeeksBorn at 28 weeks, your baby is very preterm. Here is the breathing support, the caffeine, the…PrematureBorn at 30 WeeksBorn at 30 weeks: the breathing support, caffeine, tube feeding and eye screening to expect, and…PrematureBorn at 32 WeeksBorn at 32 weeks: which unit your baby goes to, why feeding is the main job, which growth chart is…PrematureBorn at 34 WeeksBorn at 34 weeks your baby is late preterm, not nearly term. Here is why feeding, temperature,…PrematureBorn at 36 WeeksBorn at 36 weeks counts as premature, because preterm means before 37 completed weeks. Here is what…PrematureBreathing Support for Preterm BabiesWhat each kind of breathing support does for a premature baby, why CPAP comes before a ventilator,…PrematureCommon Conditions in Preterm BabiesRDS, chronic lung disease, PDA, NEC, brain bleeds, sepsis and anaemia, explained in the words your…PrematureCorrected Age and Why It MattersHow to work out corrected age, what NICE says about the two-year rule, and the one thing that is…PrematureDevelopment and Follow-Up After PrematurityWho gets enhanced developmental follow-up under NICE NG72, the appointments you should be offered,…PrematureDevelopmental Care on the Neonatal UnitWhat developmental care means on a neonatal unit: nesting and positioning, dimmed light, quiet,…PrematureFeeding a Premature BabyParenteral nutrition, NG tubes, fortifier and the move to feeding by mouth, and why 32 to 34 weeks…PrematureGoing Home from the Neonatal UnitThe conditions your baby has to meet before discharge, what rooming-in is really for, going home on…PrematureHead Scans for Premature BabiesCranial ultrasound in premature babies: why it is routine, what the team is looking for, what the…PrematureIncubators and Keeping a Preterm Baby WarmWhat an incubator does for a premature baby, why humidity matters, when the door opens for cuddles,…PrematureJaundice in Preterm BabiesWhy preterm jaundice is treated earlier and watched longer than term jaundice, why the thresholds…PrematureKangaroo Care and Skin-to-SkinWhat kangaroo care is, what the WHO changed in 2022, the comfort hold that comes first, and how to…PrematureLooking After Yourself with a Baby in Neonatal CareNeonatal care is hard on parents and that is not weakness. What the mental health picture looks…PrematureNeonatal Care Leave and PayNeonatal Care Leave and Pay gives up to 12 weeks off for parents of babies in neonatal care. Who…PrematureNICU Terms and AbbreviationsA plain-English guide to the words and abbreviations used on a neonatal unit, from PMA, sats and…PrematureRetinopathy of PrematurityWho gets ROP screening in the UK, what the eye examination involves, what zones and stages mean,…PrematureSafe Sleep for a Premature BabyPremature babies have a higher SIDS risk and safer sleep advice runs from the due date, not the…PrematureThe Neonatal Unit ExplainedWhat SCBU, LNU and NICU mean, why babies get transferred, what the machines do, and why parents are…PrematureTubes and Wires on a Premature BabyEvery line, tube, probe and wire on a premature baby: what each is for, which ones hurt, when they…PrematureWeaning a Premature BabyPremature babies are weaned by corrected age, not birth age. Bliss puts the window at five to seven…PrematureWhat Happens After a Premature BirthThe first hour after a premature birth: who is in the room, what happens to the cord, how breathing…PrematureWhat Prematurity Means and the CategoriesPreterm means born before 37 weeks. Here are the four WHO categories, the UK numbers with their…