Caption

Premature baby. Adult's hand holding the hand of a premature baby in an incubator. Premature babies often have only partially developed organs and lack a fully functioning immune system. They must be closely monitored for the first weeks of life in a hospital. An incubator provides a constant temperature and humidity and protects the baby from infection. A respirator (tube in nose, top left) provides the baby's under-developed lungs with extra oxygen. The electrodes on the baby's chest (centre left) allow the its heartbeat to be measured. Photographed at the Paediatric Nursing Institute, Paris, France.