According to the World Health Organization, 15 million premature babies are born each year at less than 37 weeks of gestation, and 1 million of them die from complications of preterm birth. The current preterm birth rate in China is about 8%, and millions of premature babies are born every year. Premature babies are newborns born at less than 37 weeks of gestation. Because the brain is not well developed at birth, preterm infants are prone to hypoxic asphyxia, intracranial hemorrhage, infection and jaundice, and even mental retardation and cerebral palsy after birth. Studies have shown that the incidence of mental retardation in preterm infants without special intervention is 6.7% and cerebral palsy is 3%, and visual and hearing impairment may also occur. The primary concern in caring for preterm babies is preventing infection, and hands are the key to preventing infection. First, wash your hands carefully before touching your baby, such as after feeding, giving medicine, taking baby cleaning products and changing baby’s diaper. Secondly, the skin cleaning of preterm babies should not be neglected, and attention should be paid to umbilical care when bathing. When the umbilicus is wet or slightly oozing, use sterile cotton swabs dipped in 75% alcohol or 0.5% iodophor to wipe the root of the umbilicus, and keep the umbilicus dry. Finally, to prevent urinary tract infections in preterm babies, change diapers frequently and rinse the perineum with water after each bowel movement. If the baby’s buttocks are red, apply tannic acid ointment to the area. Reduce the number of visits from friends and relatives to avoid cross-infection. Regular follow-up is important Premature babies face many health problems. In order to reduce their disease rate and improve their quality of survival, parents must bring their babies to the hospital for check-ups under the guidance of medical staff and according to the agreed follow-up schedule. The following are the six points of time when follow-up visits are required: baby’s corrected gestational age at 40 weeks or about two weeks after discharge, corrected monthly age at 1 month, 3 months, 9 months, 18 months and 24 months. There are early warnings for developmental abnormalities Premature babies are more prone to neurological, psychological and behavioral developmental deviations. Parents should take their babies to the hospital promptly for examination if any of the following early warning signs are found according to the corrected gestational age of their babies At 3 months of age, the baby does not respond to loud sounds, does not look at faces, does not follow moving objects, does not pronounce or laugh when teased, and does not raise his head when lying prone. At 6 months of age, the baby does not pronounce sounds, does not laugh, does not clench his fist and does not release it, does not reach out and grasp objects, and cannot sit. At 8 months of age, they do not respond to sounds, do not distinguish between strangers and acquaintances, cannot pass toys with both hands, and cannot sit alone. At 12 months of age, they do not wave goodbye or clap their hands to indicate welcome, do not respond to name calling, do not pinch small objects with their thumbs and index fingers, and do not stand on their feet. At 18 months of age, they do not consciously call mommy and daddy, and do not point to people or objects on request. At 2 years of age, they have no meaningful language, cannot hold a railing to go up stairs or steps, cannot run, and cannot eat with a spoon. [Note: The age mentioned in the article is the corrected age, and the corrected gestational age is 40 weeks, which is equivalent to the expected date of delivery. The calculation of corrected gestational age: corrected gestational age = actual gestational age – (40 – gestational weeks at birth) รท 4.]