Postterm Babies
• If the gestation period exceeds 294 days or 42 weeks according to the last menstrual period, it is defined as postmaturity.
• Usually idiopathic. Anencephaly (most common among the known causes), trisomy 16-18, postmaturity may be seen in Seckel syndrome.
• Postmature babies are generally babies whose skin is dyed with meconium, dry and peeling, long nails, abundant hair, developed baselines, decreased vernix and lanugo, collapsed abdomen, and decreased subcutaneous adipose tissue. This picture is also called dysmaturity syndrome.
Risks faced by postmature babies
fetal distress
meconium aspiration
Perinatal asph ix
polycythemia
Oligohydramnios
hypoglycemia
Preterm Babies
• It is defined as 259 days or less than 37 weeks of gestational age compared to the last menstrual period.
• Those born between 34-37 weeks are classified as late preterm.
Prematurity Causes
Clinical problems of prematures
• Hypothermia:
- Increases metabolic activity and oxygen requirement, exacerbates hypotension, hypoglycemia, hypoxia, apnea and metabolic acidosis.
• Hypoglycemia / Hyperglycemia
• Hypocalcemia
• Late metabolic acidosis
• Euthyroid hypothyroxinemia
• Osteopenia
• Anemia of prematurity:
- Anemia occurs due to bleeding, physiological anemia, vitamin E, folic acid and iron deficiency.
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• RDS
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• Air leak syndromes
• Apnea
• Hypotension
• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Spontaneous intestinal perforation
• Intraventricular bleeding
• Hyperbilirubinemia
• Hyponatremia / Hypernatremia
• Edema
