Having a baby born prematurely is a terrifying time for new parents. Seeing their tiny newborn hooked up to tubes and IV lines only adds to the reality of how serious the situation is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Adding to that is the fact that premature babies are much smaller than regular sized babies. The average size of a newborn is seven and half pounds, although a healthy and normal weight can range between five and a half pounds up to 10. Premature babies are born prior to the 37 weeks of pregnancy and their weigh is less than five pounds. This means that while they are in the hospital getting stronger and bigger, there are really no clothes made of that itty-bitty size.
