Digestive Disorders In Premature Babies

A newborn s ability to eat and digest food is essential to growth and development.

Digestive disorders in premature babies.

There is nothing wrong with the digestive system except that it does not yet know how to function properly. The more immature a baby is the more likely there will be problems with the function of the gi. Premature babies who receive only breast milk have a much lower risk of developing nec. A newborn is considered premature if he is born prior to the 37th week of pregnancy.

Gastroesophageal reflux meconium ileus necrotizing enterocolitis and jaundice are some of the most common digestive problems in premature babies. Premature babies are at risk of blood problems such as anemia and newborn jaundice. Gastrointestinal problems in preemies preterm babies have underdeveloped gastrointestinal systems resulting in a lot of complications such as indigestion colic acid reflux etc. One common condition is called pyloric stenosis which occurs.

Digestive disorders occur more frequently in babies than we might think. Premature babies have special nutritional needs as a result. While all newborns experience a slow drop in red blood cell count during. Trouble in any of these areas can be a short term adjustment or a sign of a more serious problem.

Like so much in the world of prematurity how well or poorly a baby s gi tract does function is a reflection of their gestational age. A study published by jama found that the survival rate for babies born before 28 weeks which is considered extremely premature increased from 70 percent in 1993 to 79 percent in 2012. This is due to the immaturity of their digestive systems. We tell you what it consists of and what treatment is the most indicated for each case for babies born before time.

Although most babies with this disease get. Premature babies or preemies enter the world with immature digestive or gastrointestinal systems that are incapable of safely absorbing nutrients explains the american pregnancy association. A common issue in premature babies is necrotizing enterocolitis a disease that can affect a premature baby s intestines according to the march of dimes. These symptoms may indicate the baby is having digestive problems.

Most babies are able to absorb nutrients and have normal bowel movements after being fed. In rare instances vomiting in infancy can indicate that baby was born with or has developed a malformation of the digestive tract.