• Premature babies are born between week 22 and 36.6, according to the WHO, and can weigh less than a kilo and a half
  • It is estimated that there are about 15 million premature children in the world (one in ten births)
  • Prematurity is a trend that is increasing due to, among other causes, the current pace of life, the increase in the age of procreation and the changes in the modes of reproduction
  • Advances in medicine have managed to improve the survival of these children and, in almost 80% of cases, the maturation lag ends at two years

All pregnant mothers share at least two illusions: that their baby is born healthy and that everything goes well in pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, the birth of a premature child can be a traumatic experience. The most feared has just happened, childbirth rushes, the child is born very vulnerable . No one prepares for this unexpected scenario where the concern of all parents for the feeding and growth of their newborn baby becomes a painful uncertainty about the possibility that their child reaches a minimum sustainable living conditions and where the natural desire Giving care and care to his offspring becomes a constant concern, when not anguish, for the future of the child.

There are many complications that these families have to face, but we also observe in them an enormous courage and a great desire to bet on life without giving up . To make their situation visible and raise awareness about the biopsychosocial impact of premature births this past Sunday, November 17, World Premature Day was celebrated.

ONE OF EVERY 10 BIRTHS

The premature baby is born between week 22 and 36.6 (according to the WHO) and can weigh less than a kilo and a half. It is estimated that there are about 15 million premature children in the world (one in ten births) and is the leading cause of death in children under five. In Spain, they represent 7% of births (1,010 children in 2017).

Prematurity is a trend that is increasing due to, among other causes, the current pace of life, the increase in the age of procreation and the changes in the modes of reproduction, such as 'in vitro' fertilization, which increase the possibility of pregnancies and multiple births.

These babies require hospitalization in the Neonatology Unit, especially during the first days or weeks after birth, a crucial period for their life and to avoid subsequent sequelae that result in difficulties of visual-motor integration, language, cognitive, learning , social and emotional integration. Advances in medicine have managed to improve the survival of these children and, in almost 80% of cases, the maturation lag ends at two years.

HOW DOES IT AFFECT FAMILIES?

Studies on attachment behavior show that the crying of the active baby in mothers' brains (in the area of ​​the right hemisphere associated with empathy) the impulse to go immediately to the care of their baby (parents also activate his brain before the crying of the son, but in the left hemisphere, the rational area).

I remember the anguish on Lydia's face when she narrated her experience when she saw her daughter Lara cry, but without being able to hear or touch her, separated by the glass of the incubator area.

The impulse of attachment is the innate relational system that is activated from the same pregnancy and links each mother with her child. It allows you to build the feeling of security that enables the child to explore the world around him. It is fundamental in the development of cognitive, emotional and social skills. The situation of prematurity means that the early relationship between mother / father and baby, as a source of support, is altered, determined by insecurity and anguish .

The premature baby has to complete his physical maturation outside the natural space of the mother's womb ; You cannot be skin to skin and that it speaks to you, kisses you, gives you the right breast when it is most vulnerable. Sometimes, they are very sick and undergo medical treatments, so they show rigid reactions or go through a kind of phases of apathy and lethargy.

The mother must face circumstances such as unexpected delivery, which can lead to post-traumatic shock including the feeling of guilt and anguish of helplessness, fear for the future, not being able to hug and care for her child as requested by her natural impulse of love They all narrate that the first impression of seeing their babies is shocking, so small, so fragile.

The father has a fundamental role , but little recognized. He is the first to see the baby, transmits the first impression and tries to prepare the mother. It is divided between the neonatology unit, the support for his wife, taking care of the other children if there are any, and trying to make life go beyond the hospital while handling his own concern.

And the brothers ? When the time comes, the parents themselves do not know how to tell them something that does not match the beautiful story they had been building on the arrival of their little brother whom they often know in a hospital environment. Many times they are accompanied in these circumstances by the safety figures of their grandparents .

RISE AND REHOUSE

In spite of all these initial difficulties, a greater incidence of severe linkage and autistic disorders has not been found in the evolution of large premature infants. Several studies indicate that the attachment that the baby develops has more to do with the bonding model of their parents and how they are able to manage the stress of childbirth and the complications that may occur. Your ability to recover and get up is essential. Its resilience, as a reparative dynamic, needs the support of different professionals, associations and institutions.

"It is essential to inform and educate parents of what it means to have a premature child, explain what it is and what early care is for, educate education professionals about what it means to have a great premature class in class; assist them psychologically during the process to avoid feelings of guilt, to inform about the aid and permits that exist and to make society aware of the existence of this particular and vulnerable group. " The speaker is Alex's mother, a 26-week-old premature baby who now collaborates with PREGRAN, the association of premature babies in Granada. Theirs is the attitude towards suffering that WHO advocates: inscribing any psychological problem in the framework of the mental health of society.

"My son was born in week 26 and weighed 900 grams"

Drop down

The words elaborate the trauma, modifying the representation of the wound. You are Maria's: "I was 20 weeks old when the routine check detected that the cervix was being erased. In anticipation of an imminent delivery without survival viability, I was admitted in week 22. In week 26 plus three days Alex was born , with 900 grams and 33 cm. I saw him the next day because the caesarean had been complicated. I am surprised myself when I remember my mood at that time. I think I lost my tears and negative feelings and I He invaded the spirit of serenity. We didn't know what to call him, we didn't dare to name him , but he laughed when they told us in the unit that he couldn't be so many days without a name, that he wasn't evicted. I decided to call him Alejandro, and I say I decided because his father, (much forgotten in these cases) "did not stand up with a ball." He was very scared. He had a two-year-old girl at home, a woman in the hospital and a premature baby. I took refuge in the breast pump. Sent It was the only thing I could do for my child who, on the other hand, could not eat, but would already eat. I managed to get so much milk that we bought a freezer in which to store it for when I could eat and, in addition, I became a donor. That helped me to be 100% feeling useful both for my son in the future and for other babies.

Alejandro had complications of all kinds throughout his admission, but he was overcoming every difficulty "with a note." Until we were discharged from hospital and we went home with our fears and our "weak" child. Luckily, a homecare nurse came home twice or three a week to check on the little one because they told us it was not convenient for him to go out or receive visitors. A sign at the foot of the crib in the living room of the house said: "Kisses no, thanks. Do not be angry with my parents; it is for my good ." Anyway, the discharge at home was not as pretty as we thought it would be. There were relapses and subsequent recoveries, but we faced it with hope.

Now I keep giving kisses and cuddles. I think I've already given him all the love and that skin with skin that I would have liked to give him during his hospitalization. Today that turns three we can congratulate our "Little Great Revolution" and celebrate with it life, joy, endless energy, infinite love. "

ISABEL SERRANO-ROSA is a psychologist and director of EnPositivoSí.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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