Premature Infants

When Amy's water broke at 3:30 a.m on July 9, 1991, she and her husband, Brad, could have been like any other expectant parents rushing to get dressed, shoving clothes in an overnight bag, and frantically making sure the house was locked and secure. They could have been like any other expectant parents, but being only twenty-nine weeks pregnant, the two were not at all ready to welcome their new addition to the world. Forty-nine hours after Brad and Amy arrived at the hospital, their precious, and much unexpected daughter, Victoria, was born. Before her mother could reach out and hold her new born daughter, Victoria was rushed away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Only weighing a near two pounds and five ounces, Victoria was in need of major medical attention.

Victoria is one of the approximated half a million babies (about 12 percent of all births) who are born prematurely. An individual is said to be born prematurely if they are born before the thirty-seventh week of gestation (the period in which an embryo develops) and weighs less than five pounds and five ounces ("Premature Infants"). According to studies, "the rate of premature infants born has dropped 4% over a two-year period" (Reinberg). These infants are brought into the world too early and, therefore, are not equipped to deal with the world around them. Although the rate of premature infants has dropped within the past two years, those who are unfortunately born before the thirty-seventh week of gestation have a better likelihood of survival and are more capable of thriving with the consumption of their mother's breast milk, the comfort and care of a parent, and today's medical advances.

When an infant is born prematurely, he or she often requires help with three essential needs that are necessary for their survival: keeping warm, breathing and feeding. When in dire need of these necessities the baby is most often taken to the NICU for intensive medical attention. When the baby is taken away from its mother, although the initial sense of attachment is present, the enhanced infant-mother attachment can no longer be established. Through the methods of breast feeding, the baby, as well as the mother, is able to feel this much needed sense of attachment. A mother from the UC San Diego Medical Center experiment is quoted:

"You can't be there [physically in the NICU] all the time. So it was my way to be able to be there for them all the time. I'm providing for them." (Whit)

Since the mother cannot always be in the NICU, breastfeeding is a way for the mother to feel they are providing for their child in that they are supporting their newborn. Mothers of underdeveloped infants need to be dedicated in order to improve the outcome of their child's life. Staying close to the infant helps build the much needed bond between the two individuals. The closeness between the two helps the mother produce the babies' much needed breast milk. "Just hearing the infant cry will help promote milk production" (Palmer 130).

Breast feeding not only helps bond the mother to their infant but is also beneficial to the preemies' health than basic bottle fed formula. Breast milk is a source of medicine for the weak child, protecting him or her from infectious diseases, helping the infant's digestion and immune systems, and enabling the baby to gain weight (Bradford 122). Studies have shown that infants who received maternal breast milk were much more alert during social interactions, showed a maturity in their motor skills, and provided a more affectionate touch (Feldman). Although for many mothers formula bottle feeding can be much more convenient and less time consuming, the health benefits breast milk provides exceeds those of formula feeding. Premature infants often have a higher risk of infection for they have not developed the antigens to protect their underdeveloped bodies. According to Palmer, "among the tiniest preemies, there are 45% more serious infectious diseases in those children exclusively fed formula" (117). A mother's milk is able to provide those antigens that may have not been developed in the infant's premature state. Studies have suggested that when an infant is fed breast milk, their growth rate- although may seem very slow - replicates a similar growth rate as if the neonate was still inside the womb. Although the infant's underdeveloped skills inhibit their ability to suck, breast milk is beneficial.

Most premature infants "must be fed slowly because of the risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an intestinal infection unique to preemies" ("A Primer"). In order to avoid this complication, breast milk is fed to the infant through tubes and pumps that are inserted through the baby's nose or stomach. It is found that "breast milk fed to preterm and low-weight infants provide them with higher survival rates, lower illness rates, stronger bones, greater intelligence, and finer neurological development" (Palmer 120). The consumption of a mother's natural breast milk provides many health benefits.

Being so feeble with inadequate health, the new born must be kept warm at all times. After birth the newborn is rushed off to be placed in an incubator. The incubator is used to imitate the environment of the womb, keeping the baby warm and feeling secure in an ideal atmosphere. "Standard care for Western preemies is to remain in incubators for their first weeks of extra-uterine life, (living outside of the womb)" (Palmer 123). Here in this plexiglass box, the newborn is carefully being observed by nurses who are constantly making sure the infant's major body systems are working correctly. Because they are confided to this box, contact with the infant is limited. Often times the mother and father are only allowed to come into contact with their child through the use of gloves. Although this may not seem like sufficient attention for a newborn, the slightest touch or head rub is very beneficial to the child.

When the mother is able to hold her infant without the use of gloves, she is able to initiate the sense of attachment through a practice known as kangaroo care. Kangaroo care is the practice of holding the diapered baby against the mother or father's bare chest. The skin to skin contact is able to benefit both the parent and the child ("Care"). From the time of birth, the infant knows his or her mother's scent, touch, and sound of voice. By placing the child in between the breasts (if mother) or on bare chest (if father) the baby will be able to feel the sense of closeness with that parent. When the embrace of the parent's skin touches the skin of the child, the infant is able to thrive.

Kangaroo care helps the stabilization of the infant's