Micro Preemies Are Small but Mighty

Two pounds is not too tiny to survive. Advancements in nutrition and neonatal care are helping babies born at 24 weeks, called micro preemies, to live.

According to Dr. Richard Polin, director of neonatology at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, nutrition is very important for extremely low birth weight babies. “There are formulas designed for preterm babies, and there are supplements called fortifiers, which are added to breast milk to make it a better nutritional source,” he says. Focusing on feeding practices and tracking calorie intake helps infants gain weight so their organs can continue to develop.

By providing around-the-clock nutrition, hospitals are helping babies barely bigger than your hand make it home.

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