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Babies born prematurely, or those babies born before the due date,   may need special care during their first 2 years, especially if they were very small at birth (less than 3 pounds). Here are some advices on how to take care of your premature baby when he or she comes home from the hospital.  As soon as the baby is ready for discharge or as soon as the baby leaves the hospital, it’s imperative that the mother should talk to her doctor for the following needs:

1. Food Intake. At first, most premature babies need 8 to 10 feedings a day. Don’t wait longer than 4 hours between feedings, because your baby may get dehydrated (dehydrated means lacking fluids). Six to 8 wet diapers a day show that your baby is getting enough breast milk or formula. It is normal for premature babies to spit up after a feeding.  Talk to your doctor if you think your baby has stopped gaining or is losing weight.  Most doctors advise giving a premature baby solid food at 4 to 6 months after the baby’s original due date and not the birth date.
2. Food Supplements. Your doctor may recommend vitamins, iron and a special formula if the baby is bottle-fed. Vitamins are often given to premature babies to help them grow and stay healthy. Your baby may also need extra iron because premature babies often do not have as much iron stored in their bodies as full-term infants. After 4 months of taking iron drops, your baby will have about the same amount of iron as a full-term baby. Your doctor may want your baby to take iron drops for a year or longer.
3. Growth and Development. Premature babies are usually smaller during the first two years of life. Sometimes they grow in bursts. They usually catch up with full-term babies in time. To keep a record of your baby’s growth, your doctor can use special growth charts for premature babies. Your doctor will also want to know how active your baby is, when your baby sits up,  stands up, and when your baby crawls for the first time. These are things doctors want to know about all babies, not just premature babies.
4. Sleep and Rest. Although premature babies sleep more hours each day than full-term babies, they sleep for shorter periods of time and they wake up more often.  All babies, including premature babies, should be put to bed on their backs, not on their stomachs. Use a firm mattress and no pillow. Sleeping on the stomach and sleeping on soft mattresses may increase your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby who is younger than 1 year old,  usually while the infant is asleep, which is why it is also called “crib death”.
5. Immunizations. These are also called vaccines or shots given to premature babies at the same ages they are given to full-term babies. Your baby might be helped by getting a flu shot when he or she reaches 6 months of age. Premature babies might get sicker with the flu than full-term babies. Talk with your doctor about flu shots for the entire family to protect your baby from catching the flu from someone in the family.