Lbw Case Studies

Pregnancy is a joyful time for most families because that means the mother is bringing a new member into the world who will be welcomed into the family. A mother holding her newborn healthy baby in her arms for the first time makes her feel a sense of pride. This is because she has followed all of her doctor’s instructions and listened to his advice on how to keep herself healthy, and how to deliver a healthy baby after her nine months are up. But what if the new mom to be did not listen to the doctor’s advice? What if she decided to smoke during her pregnancy because she assumed it would not hurt the baby? What health problems or birth defects would the baby be challenged with when it was born? Women who smoke during their pregnancies on

Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy could lead to the placenta not developing fully. As the placenta carries oxygen and blood to the foetus this may impair growth and link to low birth weights. Babies born to smoking mothers are 30% more likely to have a premature baby which could lead to respiratory distress, problems feeding and they could have difficulty regulating their body temperature. Babies undergo withdrawal like systems and tend to be more jittery and harder to settle. Babies being brought up in a smoking household are at increased risk of cot death and may go on to develop asthma during childhood.

In African American women low birth weight has been associated with several chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. African American women increased risk of preterm birth is a longstanding epidemiological enigma and a major public health problem(ciatation from african american womens lifetime upward economic mobility and preterm birth). To further investigate this public health problem, I have analyzed the work of previous researchers who found a correlation between chronic disease, preterm birth risk factors, and low birth weight babies in women of african descent.

The prevalence of socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics and their impact on very low birth weight in black and white infants in Georgia used data from a population based, case control study. This article focused on comparing sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics between black and white mothers of normal birth weight infants. Results convey that black women were disadvantaged on every variable examined, even if they did not report more behavioral risk factors. Among black women marital status, cigarette smoking, and vitamins nonuse were associated with low birth weight

In the United States, there are disparities between the different racial groups when it comes to low birth weights and premature births. Evidence of this can be seen with information collected Reichman (2005). She found that African Americans have the highest rate with this accounting for 13.0%. While whites are reporting 6.5% and Hispanics are seeing figures of 6.5%. However, inside the Hispanic demographic there are differences in these numbers as Puerto Ricans have 9.4%. These disparities are not tied to economic status with many educated African American women having children of low birth weight. Whereas, there are differences between select segments of the Hispanic population in contrast with other sub groups. (Reichman, 2005)

The term low birth weight is used in describing infants weighing less than 5 lbs 8 ounces (2500g) whereas the average weight is 8 lbs (Stanford, 2015). An infant with a low birth weight has a significantly higher chance of neonatal and perinatal mortality (Maheswari & Behera, 2014). Babies who do persevere and survive are documented of having inadequate neurosensory, cognitive, behavioral development and limited school performance (Guyatt & Snow, 2004). Shiono and Behrman (1995) state that infants with low birth weight consist of 7% of live births, however, 35% of the cost of health care goes towards caring for low birth weight infants. Studies show that African American infants are twice more than Caucasian infants to have a low birth weight. To bring a life into this world takes more than conception; sacrifices need to be made, nurturing, and providing a safe home for the child, but many minorities struggle to fulfill these needs. Health and health care are imperative when it comes to being an expecting mother; therefore, it is important that to address what influences the birth weight of African American infants in my research paper. I hope to address how factors such as racial discrimination within the American health care system, prenatal care, stress, and the age of the mother contributes to the low birth weight (LBW) disparities between African American infants and Caucasian infants.

The NIOSH study reveals that working women’s i.e., reproductive age involved in smoking has adverse effects on their pregnancy and the health of their infant. The evaluation of data of 2009-2013 from the National Health Interview Survey discovered there were 17% of working women who were smokers at their reproductive age and 76% were daily smokers. Further, the study shows the women working in certain industries and businesses have higher smoking

Low Birthweight: a baby born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces is considered as with low birthweight two main reasons are responsible for a birth of baby with low birthweight: premature birth and fetal growth restriction. Other medical risk factors leading to the low birthweight include: preterm labor, chronic health conditions, infections, problems with the placenta, not gaining enough weight during pregnancy and having a low birthweight infant in the past. Along with medical risk factors there are other risk factors of everyday life associated with low birthweight newborn: smoking, drinking alcohol, drug abuse, little or no education, low income or being unemployed (March of Dimes,

More then 15% of women smoking while pregnant. Babies who's mothers smoke have more then 20% higher chance of being born with cleft lip, cleft palates, shortened or missing limbs, and abnormally shaped heads compared to babies born to nonsmoking mothers. Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are even more likely to have learning disorders and behavioral problems.

The rate of pregnancies ending in low birth weight (less than 2.5 kilograms) is roughly twice as high in African-American populations in comparison to Caucasian populations; rates of extremely low birth weight (less than 1.5 kilograms) are almost three times as high, and the rates of infant mortality are twice as high.15 There

Where the null hypothesis, H0, estimates no difference between birthweights and the alternative, H1, believes that subtracting the average birthweight of a smoker will result in a positive value; inferring a lower mean birthweight. We then define the level of significance;

The study also allowed the researcher to see the knowledge of women concerning risk factors to sudden infant death syndrome. The study targeted sixty-one women, ages twenty-four to forty-seven. Among these women were thirty-five nurses, and the rest of the twenty-six women were those who had no medical education or background. The average percentage of women who smoke was twenty-five percent, but including the nurses caused the percentage to go up to thirty percent. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy turned out to be six percent. There was high environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure to infants that were identified among these women. The outcome of this case study was unsatisfactory, showing that the targeted women, including nurses, did not have knowledge of the risk factors of sudden infant death syndrome ("[Cigarette Smoke as a Risk Factor of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)--Assessment of Knowledge and Behavior of

A 23-year-old healthy Caucasian woman presented with a sharp pain in her right lower limb, enlarged circumference, reddening and increased temperature. She was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and treated with low-molecular-weight (LMW) heparin (enoxaparin 60mg twice daily) for 3 month. 8 years later, she was readmitted to the emergency room with persistent holocranial headache, more intense at the occipital region, refractory to analgesia and present for two days. Physical examination revealed terminal neck stiffness and fundoscopic examination was suggestive of bilateral macular edema. No focal sensory-motor signs were present. Familial history did not reveal any previous cerebrovascular diseases as vascular risk factors. She used to smoke (4 packs-years) and suspended oral contraception 2 month earlier.

Infants born from mothers that smoked are three times more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a condition in which babies who appears healthy die suddenly while sleeping, as are babies whose mothers do not smoke during pregnancy. This is also a point of contention between researchers as well. "Children born to mothers who smoked while pregnant, and possibly children whose grandmothers smoked while pregnant, have a higher risk of developing childhood asthma (Child)." Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to be born with birth defects such as cleft lip or palate and to have low birth weight.

While some women who received no prenatal care had normal, uncomplicated births, others did not. Most of the women who did not receive adequate prenatal care gave birth to an underweight and underdeveloped infant. Among the benefits of early, comprehensive prenatal care are decreased risk of preterm deliveries and low birth weight (LBW)-both major predictors of infant morbidity and mortality. (Dixon, Cobb, Clarke, 2000). Preterm deliveries, deliveries prior to 37 weeks of gestation, have risen. Since the studies in 1987, which showed the rate of preterm deliveries as 6.9% of births, the 1997 rate shows an increase to 7.5%. Low birth weight, defined as an infant weighing less than 2500 grams (5lbs. 5oz) is often preceded by preterm delivery. Low