Title: When Your Baby’s Born Premature (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth
Headings: When Your Baby’s Born Premature
When Your Baby’s Born Premature
What Is Prematurity?
Why Was My Baby Born Early?
Does My Baby Need Special Care?
Why Must My Baby Stay Warm?
What Are My Baby's Nutritional Needs?
What Health Problems Can Happen?
What Else Should I Know?
How Can I Cope?

Content: When  they do know, it's often because a mother has a health problem during pregnancy,  such as: diabetes (high blood sugar)
hypertension (high blood pressure)
heart or kidney problems
an infection of the amniotic membranes or vaginal or urinary tracts
Other reasons why a baby may be born early include: bleeding, often due to a low-lying placenta (placenta previa) or a placenta that  separates from the womb (placental abruption)
having a womb that isn't shaped normally
carrying more than one baby (twins, triplets, or more)
being underweight before pregnancy or not gaining enough weight during pregnancy
mothers who smoke, use drugs, or drink  alcohol while pregnant
Does My Baby Need Special Care? Yes, preemies may have many special needs. Younger and smaller babies tend to have  more health problems than babies born closer to their due dates. So they often need  to be cared for in a neonatal intensive care  unit (NICU). Why Must My Baby Stay Warm? Preemies don't have enough body fat to hold their body temperature. Incubators  or radiant warmers keep them warm in the NICU: Infant warmers: