Premature baby. A hospital nurse feeds human milk to an intermediate term premature baby. The milk is dispensed into the baby's mouth using a feeding bottle. Human milk contains the ideal balance of nutrients for the human baby and provides valuable antibodies to protect the child from infection. When the condition of a premature baby has stabilised, it may be breast fed normally. When resting or sleeping, however, the baby's condition is monitored: checking its heart and respiratory rates and its temperature. The baby is usually kept in such a special care unit until it has reached a specified 'discharge weight'.