What it means
Used most often for babies born too early: a premature (preterm) infant is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. It also describes other early events, such as premature rupture of membranes (the bag of waters breaking before labor starts) and premature ventricular contractions (early heartbeats).
For the nurse
Premature infants have trouble keeping warm, breathing and feeding, so watch their temperature, breathing and blood sugar closely.
At a glance
| Spanish | prematuro |
|---|