March of Dimes
Late-Preterm Infants
 
For Parents of Babies Born 3-6 Weeks Early

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 Resources.

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.


 
  © 2008 March of Dimes Foundation. All rights reserved. The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.