Question: Why do some babies have to have oxygen tubes if they are premature?

Roberta Migale answered on 26 May 2020:

Hi EllaJ! Babies born preterm often have lungs which are not fully developed yet.A baby’s lungs are typically considered mature by week 36. Until babies are within their mum’s womb, their lungs are filled with liquid and this helps them to grow lungs that are able to work by themselves once the baby is out. If a baby is born too soon, their lungs have not completed their development yet and this is way often “oxygen tubes” or ventilation is provided to help them breathe well and give their lungs the time to fully develop.
The most common lung problem in a premature baby is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
A baby develops RDS when the lungs do not produce sufficient amounts of surfactant which is a substance that keeps the tiny air sacs in their lung open. Premature babies do not have enough of this surfactant so they have difficulty expanding her lungs, taking in oxygen, and getting rid of carbon dioxide. So breathing equipment can be used to help the baby breathe until their are ready to.
Another thing doctors do to help the baby survive is to give the mum an injection of corticosteroids, which are synthetic forms of natural human hormones. When pregnant women are given steroid injections, the medication travels to the baby’s body and lungs through their bloodstream and speeds up the process of lung development. Hope it helps 🙂