science

Late preterm infant

Late preterm infant is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Late preterm infant rather than just read about it. In short: Late preterm infants are infants born at a gestational age between 34+0⁄7 weeks and 36+6⁄7 weeks. They have higher morbidity and mortality rates than term infants (gestational age ≥37 weeks) due to their relative physiologic and metabolic immaturity, even though they are often the size and weight of some term infants. "Late preterm" has replaced "near term" to describe this group of infants, since near term incorrec…

Key takeaways

Late preterm infant belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Connect Late preterm infant to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Late preterm infant from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Late preterm infants are infants born at a gestational age between 34+0⁄7 weeks and 36+6⁄7 weeks. They have higher morbidity and mortality rates than term infants (gestational age ≥37 weeks) due to their relative physiologic and metabolic immaturity, even though they are often the size and weight of some term infants. "Late preterm" has replaced "near term" to describe this group of infants, since near term incorrectly implies that these infants are "almost term" and only require routine neonatal care.

Risk factors Several important factors that may predispose late-preterm infants to medical conditions associated with immaturity:

respiratory distress apnea temperature instability hypoglycemia hyperbilirubinemia poor feeding At 34–35 weeks, the brain weight is only about two-thirds that of a full-term baby. This may lead to an increased risk of:

Intellectual disability Developmental delay/disability Special needs – education Retention in kindergarten Cerebral palsy

Neonatal nutrition Late preterm infants have an increased risk of being underweight and stunted at 12 and 24 months of age versus term infants. Proper nutrition is essential for normal growth, optimal neurologic and cognitive development, immune protection, and long-term health.

Feeding The last trimester of pregnancy the fetus is expressing active amino acid transport, calcium, lipid transfer, and glucose facilitated diffusion. Delivery of the premature infant requires higher energy expenditure, but with inadequate intake the infant will have negative nitrogen balance. There are higher needs for Calcium, Phosphorus, and Vitamin D.

Early nutrition and cognitive outcome For every 10 kcal/kg increase in energy intake in the first week of life, there is a 4.6 point increase in MDI (Mental Development Index) at 18 months. For every 1 g/kg increase in protein intake in the first week of life, there is an 8.2 point increase in MDI at 18 months.

Challenges to feeding Sources:

Small mouth and immature oral muscle Weak suck and poor latch Easily tire with feeding Maternal delayed milk production

When to start feeding Factors such as hemodynamic stability, severe IUGR, respiratory, abdominal exam, whether feeding cues are present, and stable glucose could all effect the timing of nutrition. Some preterm infants will be NPO (nil per os). If infants are unable to start oral or enteral intake intravenous fluids may begin with amino acids or total parenteral nutrition. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics section on breastfeeding recommendations are all infants should receive human milk.

Nutrient needs by gestational age

Fortifiers Use caution when fortifying single nutrients to prevent alteration of protein/energy ratio. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that sterile formulas and fortifiers be used when mom is not available. Powdered formula and HMF may be contaminants. Start with the mom's diet during breastfeeding. Mom should be eating adequate calories, protein, B vitamins and DHA.

How much Due to lower capacity for feed volume and lower sucking ability relative to infants born at full term, late preterm infants may require more frequent feeding. Failure of the infant to adequately feed can contribute to the development of jaundice.

Colostrum production Colostrum production can range from 26 to 56 mL the first day to 113–185 mL for day two. Although colostrum production is not voluminous, it can still meet the needs of the newborn.

Feeding methods Direct Breast Feeding Feeding tube at breast Cup/Finger feeding Bottle Feeding Gavage Tube (bolus feeding)

Strategies to improve outcome

Early nutrition Colostrum Diet; Mother's own milk [Contains: Lactoferrin, Secretory IgA, Lysozyme, contains oligosaccharides (beneficial growth of good gut bacteria), and hormones] Trophic Feeds (beneficial effect on maturation of the intestinal tract) Donor Milk Fortify human milk Consistency in feedings important

References

External links AWHONN Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Resource for Late preterm infant Archived 26 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine 2012 AAP-Section on Perinatal Pediatrics Workshop on Perinatal Practice Strategies: Late preterm infants Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Late preterm infant

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Late preterm infant claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Late preterm infant before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Late preterm infant ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Late preterm infant

In research: Late preterm infant appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Late preterm infant in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Late preterm infant is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Midwifery, Preterm birth, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Late preterm infant outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Late preterm infant in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Late preterm infant means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Late preterm infant out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Late preterm infant in simple terms?

Why does Late preterm infant matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Late preterm infant?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Late preterm infant.