Your premature baby

• Premature babies are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
• We don't understand all the causes but are looking for answers.
• Learn about what to expect, now and in the year or so to come.

A baby born three to six weeks early is called a "late preterm" or "near-term" infant. The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) is providing parents with information on the special needs of these babies and the potentially serious health problems that they may face. "Late Preterm Infants: What Parents Need to Know," a free patient education brochure, is available in English and Spanish on the Web screen describing AWHONN's Late Preterm Infant Initiative. Scroll down to Patient Links. The brochure informs parents about breathing, temperature control, feeding, sleeping, jaundice and infections. It also provides questions to ask the baby's health care provider before leaving the hospital.