Final answer:
The common characteristic of a premature infant is transparent and red skin due to the underdeveloped epidermis and lack of subcutaneous fat. Premature infants may also have retained lanugo, which full-term neonates usually shed before birth.
Step-by-step explanation:
A common characteristic of a premature infant is transparent and red skin. Premature babies often have skin that appears thinner, more transparent, and redder compared to full-term neonates. This is due to the underdevelopment of the epidermis and a lack of subcutaneous fat, which typically matures later in gestation.
Premature infants sometimes retain lanugo, the fine, downy hair that covers the body of the fetus, which in most cases is shed before full-term birth. The presence of lanugo is actually contrary to the absence of it, as the question might suggest. Moreover, due to their underdeveloped skin, premature babies may not exhibit the increased flexion of arms and legs characteristic of full-term babies, who have had more time to grow and develop muscle tone within the confines of the womb.
The characteristics mentioned like dry skin, and absence of lanugo are typically not associated with premature infants; instead, these infants may struggle with temperature regulation and require specialized care to ensure their environment supports their continued growth and development after birth.