ABSTRACT
A child is born too early when it is born before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy. Very premature children arrive in the world before the end of the 32nd week, and extremely premature babies are those who see the light of the day before the end of the 28th week. A very premature child has a parchment-thin skin and experiences pain more intensely than does a full-term child. The number of pain receptors is highest at a birth age of 28 weeks, and it is considered that at this time the child is unable to inhibit the pain impulse. Children born too early can be judged to be exposed to both types of stress in that they, after a period of acute trauma, often have to live for many years in a non-thriving state due to the consequences of birth and hidden handicaps.
