Babies born prematurely are at risk of eye damage and, in severe cases, permanent blindness. Treatments can help. And human milk looks like it helps, too. iStockphoto hide caption
preemies
Researchers have used MRI scanners to learn that preemies are born with weak connections in some critical brain networks. iStockphoto hide caption
Weak Brain Connections May Link Premature Birth And Later Disorders
Even just one extra week in the womb can make a huge difference in preemies' chances of survival when they're born in the second trimester. BSIP/Corbis hide caption
Microbial diversity could be a factor in premature births. iStockphoto hide caption
Researcher John Clements in the early 1980s, after he figured out that lungs need surfactants to breathe. David Powers/Courtesy of UCSF hide caption
Babies in the neonatal intensive care unit hospital don't always need the tests and treatments suggested. iStockphoto hide caption
Hands holding one week old baby boy. Leanne Temme/Getty Images hide caption
Premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit may be exposed to DEHP, a chemical in some PVC medical equipment. ERproductions Ltd/Blend Images/Corbis hide caption
A baby born too soon continues to develop and grow inside an incubator at the neonatal ward of the Centre Hospitalier de Lens in Lens, northern France. Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
What should parents be told before their premature infants participate in a clinical study? iStockphoto.com hide caption
How much oxygen should severely premature infants receive? A study that sought to answer the question has been criticized for not fully informing parents about the risks to their children. iStockphoto.com hide caption
A cesarean section may not be risky for a small preemie than a vaginal birth. Matthew Scherf/iStockphoto.com hide caption
A little sugar can relieve preemies' pain in intensive care. iStockphoto.com hide caption
Madeline Mann seen shortly after she was born prematurely in in 1989. Weighing 9.9 ounces at birth, she is now an honors student in psychology at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. A. Hayashi, Loyola University Medical Center/AP hide caption