Please talk to me about lung maturity in premature babies

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I have been warned about lung maturity issues in premature babies (if born at 37 weeks)... what does this condition mean? Is it a risk only, or could it result in a long term illness, is it life threatening? What is the real name for this condition?

Thanks in advance

I'm no expert, but I think it is risk only. I THINK there can be a risk of the sucking reflex not being quite there yet. My neice was born at 37 weeks and came home 2 days later, no stay in ITU or anything - se was fine, BF with no probs. My 5 week old was born at 38w on the dot and was over 7lb and as fine as a 40w - if he had been born the day before he still would have been 37w. I'm sure I have read that a 37w old baby is termed as 'early' and before 36 weeks is termed as prem. Like said, I'm no expert.

Why your concern? Are you 37w and going into labour? I would speak to consultant or MW about your concerns.

I think at 37 weeks the risks would be pretty low. If they think you are going to go into labour early or labour is iminent (sp?!) And it it still early enough to be considered a risk you would be given steroid injections to boost the surfactant on the lungs. Is 37 weeks not considered 'term' though?

Premature babies are

At 36/37 weeks I think the lungs are mature (or at least, enough to not pose a risk, lungs continue to mature after birth). My water broke at 29 weeks, so I had the steroid injections then, but DS wasn't born until 33 weeks and although in an incubator, was able to breathe on his own.

I think you might be thinking of Respiratory Distress Syndrome? That is a worry for prem babies (again, not at 37 weeks I don't think) and is something to do with the lungs still being sticky and so not inflating - the long-term risks are to do with lack of oxygen at birth, rather than the condition itself. But I am not medical at all, this is just what I picked up 5 years ago when I was in a fairly distressed state so do check it out with your MW if you are worried.

Not sure about the sucking reflex, AdiVic we were told that the energy it takes to suck would slow down the weight gain from the milk so DS was tube fed for a few weeks.

DS was born at 34+0, needed some oxygen to get him going breathing but ended up on the normal post-natal ward with me. No other problems with his breathing, although he was very congested for a week or so.

He struggled to maintain his body temp though, and he didn't have a sucking reflex, so was tube-fed for a couple of weeks. Normally if you put your little finger in a baby's mouth you'll feel them sort of clamp on and suck, but DS did nothing. (It wasn't quite that simple, the hospital mucked up spectacularly by discharging us at 2 days old only for us to be admitted back at a week old when he'd lost 20% of his weight)

The only babies I've known with permanent, chronic lung problems have been very premature babies

DS was born at 34 weeks after my waters broke at 33 weeks. He needed CPAP to help him breathe for the first few days. We were told that a baby's lungs aren't fully developed until around 37 weeks gestation. A baby born before this is at risk of Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and may need help breathing (may include ventilators, CPAP, extra oxygen, artificial surfactants).

Medical staff are aware of this risk, and if a baby's born early, they'll check the baby for signs of Respiratory Distress Syndrome so that the baby can receive any necessary treatment.

If untreated, it can be life-threatening and lead to the baby's brain being starved of oxygen. In the long term, babies who've had Respiratory Distress Syndrome are at increased risk of lung problems, with likelihood increasing for babies who've been born very early and needed lots of help breathing.

However, risks of Respiratory Distress Syndrome for a baby born at 37 weeks are low.

I'd second suggestions to talk to your midwife if you're worried.

DS born at 36+3 all fine but I had the steroids at 32w.
However he couldn't latch or suck well enough to bf and was (is!) very sleepy. So if you are very keen to bf there can be issues, we are ff now.

DS was born at 36+0 although it could have been even earlier - there was confusion over my dates as I stupidly did not wait for my periods to return after a m/c - DOH!

He was OK for a few hours the started grunting and had blue lips so off to NICU where he stayed for 4 days on CPAP (pressured oxygen). He had "premmie lungs" - normally babies have lungs that are soft like sponges which can easily contract and expand to breathe and clear mucous. Underdeveloped lungs (like DS's) are harder and cannot do this so well. As the lungs were not spongy, one had leaked during labour and there was air pressing inwards onto the lung. This did resolve itself although it is easily treated with a small incision into the chest to drain off the air.

And as DS could not breathe well he could not suck to feed and was fed thru a gastro-nasal tube for a few days.

Although a vile experience he was on the normal ward by day 5. So yes, life threatening if not treated but no long term effects.

What the other posters have said. And to add that we found that DS (born at 35 weeks) tended to get chest infections quite often as a toddler. If he ever caught a cold, it would end up on his chest. Happily antibiotics and an inhaler kept on top of it, and he has now (6) grown out of it (as the doctors said he would).