In plain words
A late preterm infant is a baby born a little early, between 34 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. These babies often look close to full term, but they are more likely than full-term babies to have feeding problems, low blood sugar, , trouble keeping warm, and breathing issues. Their muscles and sucking reflex may not be fully mature yet. Many need extra monitoring for a few days, and some spend time in a special care nursery. This is a large group, because most preterm births are late preterm. With support, most of these babies do well. Feeding is often the first area where families need help. Care teams usually set out a feeding plan and a list of signs to watch for.
The deeper version
Late preterm refers to gestational ages from 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks. The term was popularized by the AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn (Engle, Tomashek, and Wallman, 2007), which described the group as at increased risk of morbidity and readmission compared with term infants. Problems include hypoglycemia, , temperature instability, respiratory distress, and feeding immaturity, with poor coordination of suck, swallow, and breathing, and poor early weight gain. Most preterm births in the United States are late preterm. The controversy concerns how much of the excess morbidity is due to gestational age itself, versus confounders such as maternal diabetes, , and , and whether routine nursery admission or specific feeding protocols change outcomes.
Where it comes up
- When your baby is in the NICUBirth and the First Days
- Feeding twins or multiplesFeeding Your Baby
- Nipple shields: when they help, how to wean offFeeding Your Baby
- Newborn weight: the early drop and regainingBaby Basics
What mothers here say about late preterm infant
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Sources
- Engle WA, Tomashek KM, Wallman C, Committee on Fetus and Newborn — Late-preterm infants: a population at risk. Pediatrics, 2007
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Committee Opinion No. 579: Definition of Term Pregnancy, 2013