Late preterm infant

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. 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. In 2005, late-preterm births accounted for more than 70% of all preterm births (<37 weeks’ gestation), or approximately 377,000 infants. In fact, much of the increase in the preterm birth rate in recent years can be attributed to increases in late-preterm births. Several important factors that may predispose late-preterm infants to medical conditions associated with immaturity: At 34–35 weeks, the brain weight is only about ​2⁄3 that of a full-term baby. This may lead to an increased risk of: Late preterm infants have immature gastrointestinal function and feeding difficulties that predispose them to in increase in enterohepatic circulation, decreased stool frequency, dehydration, and hyperbilirubinemia. Feeding during the birth hospitalization may be transiently successful, but not sustained after discharge. Feeding difficulties are associated with relatively low oromotor tone, function, and neural maturation also predispose these infants to dehydration and hyperbilirubinemia. Late Preterm Infants have an increased risk of being underweight and stunted at 12 and 24 months of age versus term infants.