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Hi, Anon,

One thing we can do for you is give you some resources that tell you where an "average" preemie is at 25 weeks. Here's some information from ahealthyme.com:

In general, the closer to the due date that a baby is born, the better his or her chances are for being born healthy. Even a few days or weeks can make a huge difference: A baby born at 23 weeks has only a 10 to 35 percent chance of surviving and greater than 50 percent chance of a long-term disability. At just 25 weeks, survival improves to between 50 and 80 percent, and the chances of a long-term disability drop to between 15 and 25 percent.

Certain complications are very common -- almost universal -- among preemies. These include sleep apnea (when breathing stops during sleep), trouble eating (because of weak and uncoordinated muscles), and jaundice (yellowish skin because the liver isn't working efficiently). Other common problems include abdominal hernias, acid reflux, breathing difficulties, abnormal blood sugar regulation, and heart development that remains incomplete.

If your baby has any of these conditions, the medical providers in the NICU will treat them and teach you how to care for your baby at home until they have resolved. These common conditions are usually short-term complications. If your baby was very premature (before 28 weeks) he or she may have additional problems that may be more severe or take longer to overcome.

Here's more from that link:

http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/preemiecare

How much did your grandbaby weigh at birth?

Was the mother given steroids before his or her birth to help mature the baby's lungs?

Is the baby a boy or a girl?

All those things affect the baby's chances and development. It also makes a difference where the baby is born; if it's born in a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that is used to dealing with such vulnerable infants, chances are better still.

Can you tell us just a little more?

February 10, 2010 - 10:58am

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