Digestive Disorders In Premature Babies

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.

Digestive disorders in premature babies.

But the biggest problems faced while taking care of a premature baby is the digestive issues. 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. Premature babies are at risk of blood problems such as anemia and newborn jaundice.

The more immature a baby is the more likely there will be problems with the function of the gi. This is due to the immaturity of their digestive systems. Most babies are able to absorb nutrients and have normal bowel movements after being fed. A newborn s ability to eat and digest food is essential to growth and development.

Trouble in any of these areas can be a short term adjustment or a sign of a more serious problem. One common condition is called pyloric stenosis which occurs. Premature babies have special nutritional needs as a result. While all newborns experience a slow drop in red blood cell count during.

Premature babies who receive only breast milk have a much lower risk of developing nec. Anemia is a common condition in which the body doesn t have enough red blood cells. Although most babies with this disease get. 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. In rare instances vomiting in infancy can indicate that baby was born with or has developed a malformation of the digestive tract. Gastroesophageal reflux meconium ileus necrotizing enterocolitis and jaundice are some of the most common digestive problems in premature babies. In fact statistics show that around 50 of babies suffer from mild digestive disorders during their first months of life.

There is nothing wrong with the digestive system except that it does not yet know how to function properly. Gastrointestinal problems in preemies preterm babies have underdeveloped gastrointestinal systems resulting in a lot of complications such as indigestion colic acid reflux etc.