Infant Gestational Age in the NICU
When an infant is born, their gestational age is calculated by the total mount of time in utero, or inside the mother’s uterus. The neonatal intensive care unit will often admit premature babies, also called preemies or preterm infants.
So what exactly defines a premature gestational age? The following gestations are a general guideline for prematurity:
- Premature – Under 37 weeks gestation. Infants with a gestational age of 36 weeks and below are considered premature.
- Term – Anywhere from 37 weeks to 42 weeks gestation.
- Post Term – Any gestational age above 42 weeks.
In some cases, a premature infant at 35 or 36 weeks may have developed enough to not require admission to the NICU. However, as a precautionary measure, neonatal intensive care units may still observe these infants for a short amount of time. Every NICU is different, and it depends on their policies and protocols.
Photo by bradleyolin under Creative Commons CC BY 2.0
