Care Basics: Concerns for Premature Babies  Baby Care Basics:
Concerns for Premature Babies  If your baby is a preemie, she
will likely have some difficulties in the beginning. Find out
how to help your premature baby--and your family-- thrive.    •
Share: Babies born prematurely usually need to spend time in the
neonatal intensive care unit or NICU. With premies, it's
important to know these facts. Breathing problems happen because
their lungs aren't fully developed. Your baby may be given extra
oxygen or hooked to a ventilator or something called a CPAP
machine. Many premies also stop breathing occasionally, a
condition called apnea. But in the NICU, they're carefully
monitored for this. Because premies have less body fat, your
infant will probably be placed in an incubator to help her
control her body temperature. There can be feeding difficulties.
Until she learns to suck effectively, your baby may be fed
through a tube. But the nurses can still give her any breast
milk that you pump, or freeze it for use