Assessing care for preterm babies

I delivered my son at 34 weeks. He weighed 1.5 kilogrammes. He was born prematurely because I developed pre-eclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy characterised by high blood pressure, sometimes accompanied by damage to organs including the kidneys, liver and brain. Pre-eclampsia can become life-threatening for both the pregnant woman and the baby, and sometimes the safest intervention is to deliver the baby before term.

Because my obstetrician anticipated that I might deliver prematurely, I received medicines to accelerate foetal maturation, particularly of the lungs. I also got a shot of surfactant, a substance that helps keep the small air sacs in the lungs open. Very premature babies may not produce enough of it and can develop respiratory distress.