Premature babies are infants who are born before their due date. They are called "preterm" because they are carried less than 37 weeks by their mother. Your premature infant is at greater risk than a "full-term" baby for a serious medical condition like respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) because she was born early. Some of her body systems may not be developed to the point where she can function on her own.
Fortunately, special people, equipment, medicines and newborn intensive care units (NICUs) or special care nurseries (SCNs) can help your baby survive and grow outside the womb, even if she has RDS or other serious medical conditions.
* IMS DDD Lung Surfactant Market Purchases July 1991 through June 2007. On file, Abbott Nutrition Marketing Research.
