Need to Know:

A lot of people may think that because they have done or have been victim to some of the causes that they automatically will have their baby premature, however this is not the case (Lee, 2010). A woman could have their baby premature even if they do not have most of those symptoms. Some of the best ways to prevent a baby from being born premature or having complications is to ensure that the mother gains the proper amount of weight, which is twenty-five to thirty pounds. Also, it is important for the mother to take prenatal vitamins, such as folic acid. Folic acid also helps protect from neural tube defects (Nemours Foundation, 2012).

Most of these therapies can not be used right away on the baby; most start after a year from the baby's birth. This way the baby can get ahead and try to be as strong and as healthy as a full term baby. Premature babies require a lot of help, they are going to need therapy for many years after they are born. Premature babies need to take different therapies so they can avoid delays with their development. There are many complications like cerebral palsy that premature babies will definitely need therapies so they can deal with the disfunction (Broderick, 2011). Not every premature baby needs therapy but it really all depends on what their weight and strength is when they are born.  

Oxygen Therapy for Premature Infants

Oxygen therapy is another great way to improve the health of premature infants. Oxygen therapy is seen very often when it comes to premature infants. Babies that are born earlier than thirty-seven weeks gestation are at major risk for health complications. One of the most common problems has to do with their respiratory system. Their respiratory system is not completely developed and still needs to mature. Premature infants may develop RDS which is respiratory distress syndrome (Keep, 2008). This is a lack of the surfactant in the lungs, which is a very important liquid. Without surfactant inflation in the lungs increases and causes an insufficient level of oxygen (American Pregnancy Association, 2007). There are also negative affects of oxygen therapy, such as Retinopathy of Prematurity, (ROP) this affects the retina in the eyes of a premature infants, and can cause blindness. Parents always have to take into consideration the risks of any therapy or surgery (Keep, 2008). Parents are often doubtful when it comes down to what they want to put their children through.

Music Therapy for Premature Infants

Another method of therapy for premature infants is music therapy. Music therapy can work wonders with a premature infant. If the baby is having an irregular heartbeat or is having difficulties, music is usually a good way to calm him or her down. Study done in the Center for Music Research, Florida State University, dedicated time to analyze the effect that music has on premature infants. Forty infants were divided into two different groups; they were separated based on their gender, birthweight, and gestational age at birth. There were two different stimulations that were running, one with a lullaby song and the other with multimodal. The babies that were put with the multimodal stimulation were listening to Brahms' Lullaby for fifteen to thirty minutes, a couple times a week (Sairam, n.d.). It was proven that the music seemed the be therapeutic for the babies. Music helps the babies to live in the moment and not have any stresses about what they are connected to. The results showed that the babies who listened to the calming music were able to be more relaxed, while the babies without music seemed more uneasy.

Massage Therapy for Premature Infants

Another therapy that premature infants could benefit from is massage therapy. Babies who receive massage therapy usually gain weight faster than those who do not receive massage therapy. Massage therapy helps premature infants sleep better and they are less gassy. Premature infants usually have better body awareness when they are going through massage therapy. When massage therapy is done by the mother, the mother and child can create a stronger emotional bond. It is said that it is best to massage a baby twice a day. Doing this and having a set schedule for this will relieve that child from have colic and any pain he or she is feeling. Massage therapy encourages a stronger bond within the family as well. Because the infant sleeps more, family will be happier, that they are getting more sleep. Premature babies who have cerebral palsy benefit from massage therapy because the motor activities becoming more organized. If the mother is depressed then massage therapy can really help her too; he or she will become more aware of their babies needs and become less anxious and their stress levels decrease. Massage therapists are able to see the affects of massage therapy first hand. They say that there are two different types of affects to the baby: positive touch and negative touch. Negative touch is when the massage becomes too much for the baby to handle. Positive touch is any nurturing or soothing touch. To prevent long term problems with the child, it is better to have a mixture of both negative and positive touch (Shears, 2006). Using strength and carefulness is the best way to go. Massage therapy proves to be very beneficial to a premature infant.  

Physical Therapy for Premature Infants

Physical therapy helps a premature infant in many ways. Throughout the child's life he or she will probably be continuously going to physical therapy so he or she can grow to have more skills with balance and learning. Having a premature baby take physical therapy can speed up the process of being as healthy as a full term baby. Premature babies usually have troubles with their muscle-tone, and physical therapy helps improve their movements and strength. Some exercises include, head lifting, rolling and crawling, and even massaging the baby. The cortex is what controls the muscle movement, and in premature babies this has had less time to develop. Physical therapy can be used to encourage the baby to lift and hold his or her head (Broderick, 2011). Another activity is to have the baby lie on his or her stomach while someone is waving some sort of interesting object in from of her to see if they can help improve the his or her head movement. Physical therapists help the baby strengthen his or her muscle also by bringing the arms and legs of the baby together. After rolling over is achieved, then they attempt to help the child to learn how to crawl and then walk, which will further strengthen the baby's muscles. Physical therapy can come very close to play therapy, with the exercises they use (Play Based Physical Therapy Inc, 2010).When the baby gets bigger, he or she can also learn how to catch themself before he or she completely falls.  

Play Therapy for Premature Infants

Play therapy is also a way that premature babies can become just as healthy as a full term baby. Pre-term babies need support in a number of ways, play is one of the best ways to get the baby healthier. Play therapy is mainly used to get the child to have fun. Play therapy can not be used right away, but rather when the baby is starting to grow older. Through play, music is also used. Play therapy is used to develop muscles of the baby, music can be used to encourage movement. Play therapy for infants includes such things as using a rattle or a constant noise to see what kind of movements that baby will make (Play Based Physical Therapy Inc 2008-2010). Play therapy is very close to physical therapy, but the main difference is physical therapy is exercising the gross motor functions, while play therapy is also used to exercise gross motor function but in a fun way.  

Occupational Therapy for Premature Infants

There are many therapies, such as Occupational Therapy, that premature infants can take to be just as healthy as a full term baby. Occupational therapy can be very helpful to premature infants, the best time to introduce occupational therapy to a premature infants is when he or she is around thirty-two weeks gestation. Premature infants are usually sensitive to light, sounds, and touch. Occupational therapy will help premature babies so that way they are able to handle the different textures and are able to be around the different noises and lights (Buckmiller, 2007). Infant occupational therapy is usually prescribed to babies that have some sort of physical disability or a baby who is not developing like they should. Included in occupational therapy is sensory stimulation for the infants, through tactile, auditory, visual, and rocking sensations. This type of therapy would usually be prescribed for babies who have had brain injury, but premature infants definitely fall into that category. The baby needs as much therapy as he or she can get to catch up developmentally to full term babies. Occupational therapy is used to exercise an infant's fine motor skills (Parenting Made Easy, 2009). Premature infants are susceptible to having developmental delays, and occupational therapy would be most beneficial for the premature babies in these cases.