What Is A Preemie?
By Sjona Lindquist “Preemie” is the common term used when referring to a premature baby. The dictionary definition of a preemie is a prematurely born infant. A preemie is born before 37 weeks gestation while a full term baby is born at 37 weeks or after. Preemies require a very different start in life, and this can vary dramatically depending on the level of prematurity. Micropreemie and preemie are the two terms used to help define the degree of prematurity. To an NICU medical professional, a micropreemie is defined as a baby that is under 1 pounds (between 700-800 grams) and is generally born before 26 weeks gestation, but most people prefer to loosen this term up to include any baby under 3 pounds (1500 grams) or under 29 weeks gestation. Micropreemies require a lot of medical attention in order to survive, and many more micropreemies are surviving than ever before in history. The statistics for the survival of a micropreemie can range from 10-80%. A micropreemie born before 23 week
