A premature, by definition, a newborn whose gestational age is less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, counted from the first day of gestation. It is always an important factor for perinatal morbidity. The risk of death or sequelae is directly related to the degree of prematurity.
The lower limit of viability theory was set by the World Health to 22 weeks and 500g, but still a theory, premature infants less than 1000g already accounting for 5% of premature births.

Aetiology:
Found primarily in the socio economic disadvantage (underprivileged, single women, standing work and painful, …)
Then find uteroplacental abnormalities, morphological type (bifid uterus, hypoplastic), cervical incompetence, smoking or maternal pathology.
Finally, there may be a factor directly fetus, including twins and other multiple births.
In 40% of cases the origin is unknown.

Risks associated with prematurity:

  • The risk of hypothermia is the most important: the premature lacks capacity to regulate body temperature, and therefore he should receive from birth care on hot table and then be placed in an incubator, resulting in hypothermia apnea, acidosis and hypoglycemia responsible for significant sequelae.
  • The hyaline membrane disease: it is secondary to a lack of surfactant production by the alveoli, the latter then collapses at the end and carrying an array of respiratory distress. The administration’s mother steroids can stimulate the production of surfactant, and advances in respiratory strongly improved the prognosis in recent years. In case of oxygen, it must be carefully controlled to avoid hyperoxia.
  • The apnea is common in premature and should not worry if they do not exceed 7 seconds. Beyond that, it becomes dangerous and pathological, and may indicate a meningeal infection, hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, hypoxia or cerebral hemorrhage.


  • Risk of brain damage, digestive disorders exposing false roads
  • Risk of ulcerative enterocolitis requiring cessation of any food, antibiotics and sometimes surgery.
  • Metabolic risk of type hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia, frequent.
  • Risk hematologic with anemia may require frequent transfusions
  • Infectious risks related to the immunological immaturity, to impose rules of strict asepsis which must obey parents
  • Risks associated with the use of oxygen: The hyperoxic retinopathy and bronchopulmonary displasie

Today, the legacy can relate almost exclusively in premature infants under 32 weeks of pregnancy.

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