The Importance Of Preterm Birth

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2016), preterm birth are the birth that happened before 37 ended weeks of pregnancy and is one of the number reason of newborn deaths and the second prominent cause of deaths in children below five. The preterm babies have chances of an amplified risk of illness, disability and death. In the first weeks, the complications of premature birth may include: breathing problems, heart problems, brain problems, temperature control problems, gastrointestinal problems, blood problems, metabolism problems, immune system problems. Long-term complications includes cerebral palsy, impaired cognitive skills, vision problem, hearing problems, dental problems, behavioral and psychological problems, chronic health issues.

There are more than 70% of premature babies that are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation a year. When a baby is born early, or born with birth defects, the Neonatal Intensive Care unit is its first home. The nurse’s in the NICU have the difficult job of preparing baby’s and parents for a health life together. A baby who has been put into the NICU will stay there until it is healthy enough to go home.

Babies born earlier, such as 25 weeks will need medical support in order to survive and are usually placed in incubator – designed to keep baby worm and free from infection. Premature babies are at a higher risk of developing, sight problems or learning difficulties.

Defining premature birth is much more than just a denotative phrase. It is not just a preterm birth, or a baby born early. It is a life-changing event, and something that affects millions of people worldwide. The intense quiet room with heart monitors beeping, as parents see their baby and are devastated. Loved ones can not feed them or kiss them nor, can they not hold them or hug them. They do not get the same experience as others. Little miracles lay inside these cubes where multiple wires are help keeping them alive. A place where prayers happen, and where all hope for the best. Nobody knows the true pain and struggle behind a preterm birth and it needs to be discussed. Prematurity is a serious conflict; therefore, it needs more awareness as many families are facing this tough situation.

A premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby is due. A normal pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks. The importance of growth and development of the baby happens through pregnancy. Premature birth gives the baby less time to develop in the mother’s womb. A late preterm is when a baby is born between 34-36 weeks of pregnancy. Moderately preterm are born between 32-34 weeks. Very preterm is born less than 32 weeks of pregnancy and extremely preterm is born before 25 weeks. “Each year nearly 500,000 babies are premature or preemies. That is about 1 out of every 8 infants born in the U.S.”

-Race or ethnicity: Historically, minority populations in the United States have had higher rates of preterm delivery. In 2007, non-Hispanic White women accounted for the lowest number of preterm births in the United States, accounting for only 11.5% of all preterm births (MacDorman, 2011). In contrast, non-Hispanic Blacks, Puerto Ricans, American Indians and Hispanic women had preterm birth levels of 18.3%, 14.5%, 13.9% and 12.3% respectively (MacDorman, 2011). The Asian minority had the lowest risk at 10.9% (MacDorman, 2011). Some studies have attributed such significant differences to racial disparities in resources and health care (Dominguez, 2008; Vanderbilt & Wright, 2013). However, other studies such as Menon’s et al, which looked at differences in White versus Black women, suggest that racial disparities in preterm birth may

The significance that this mother did not receive prenatal care is that the risks for having a premature delivery could have been reduced or eliminated completely. The mother could have been put on medications to stop early labor like Magnesium sulfate to relax the smooth muscle of the uterus and stop contractions, progesterone to prevent early labor, and monitoring fetal heart rate patterns in order to report any complications to the attending provider caring for the patient. Progesterone reduces the risk of delivering a baby early, before 37 weeks gestation, in mothers who are pregnant with just a single fetus or a mother who previously had a premature birth of a fetus (Progesterone Treatment, 2014, para. 4). In

Early prenatal care can prevent potential medical problems and increase opportunities for positive outcomes for mothers and infants.

In the last 20 years the hopes of survival for neonates have seen significant increase, almost all of the causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity have decreased. There is only one threat unmoved, still standing above the rest- Preterm birth. Prematurity or preterm birth is defined as the birth of any child between 20-37 weeks of gestation. Delivery prior to 20 weeks of gestation is considered a Natural abortion.1 The survival rate of low birth weight infants has significantly increased from 15-80% in the last 20 years. However, the incidence of prematurity has not seen any change, neither decrease nor increase. Currently the average incidence is 10-11%.1

Birth by cesarean gives several challenges for a baby. If we Compare vaginally born babies with babies born by cesarean, the latter are at risk for health complications they are less likely to face with a normal birth. Breathing problems are more likely if baby is premature and was born by caesarean. They may also happen if baby was born by a caesarean before your labour started, particularly before 39 weeks of pregnancy. With a scheduled cesarean, babies are more likely to be born preterm, before the lungs have fully developed. Respiratory complications can be serious enough to get admitted to nursery.

Socioeconomic conditions also played a role in my preterm birth, because I live with someone who smoked cigarettes and also used illicit drugs from time to time. As a result I delivered a baby girl at 24 weeks gestation which is 16 weeks premature and was just two weeks beyond the point of viability. My child weighed 1 lb. 8 oz. and was 12 inches long. The psychological effects after the birth of my child were even more devastating. Knowing that the situation could have been prevented has always weighed heavy on my mind as my child battle with many issues due to her prematurity. These issues resulted in the use of oxygen, and apnea monitor, and also a feeding tube. In the beginning there were many developmental delays such as, she did call until she was one years old and she did not walk until she was two years old. Though those were the short term effects, there are also long-term effects such as lack of confidence and attention deficit disorder. Vision problems are another long- term effect that my daughter suffered from preterm birth. In many cases, the retina will detach from the eye causing blindness around the actual due date. Fortunately for me and my daughter we were able to avoid the detachment but we still have to deal with the vision problems caused by early delivery.

Preterm babies are those that are born before 37 months of pregnancy are over. It is the under developmental state of these babies that puts them at a higher risk of developing complications after birth. Good examples of these are complications of the respiratory system that affect the ability of the neonate to inhale and exhale air. Lung complications are common respiratory problems in preterm infants. In most cases, the lung matures after 36 weeks, but this differs in fetuses as they exhibit variability in their rates of development. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common lung problem in preterm babies, and it occurs as a result of the inability of the lungs to synthesize enough surfactant. The surfactant is important in the lungs

Premature neonates or preterm babies refer to the neonates that are born before 37 weeks of gestation are over. Given that most of the body organs are not completely developed at this stage, the neonates have a high risk of developing many complications at birth. A good example of these organs is the lungs, which completely mature by week 36 of gestation. Therefore, neonates born at 37th weeks are likely to have immature lungs that are associated with respiratory problems such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and apnea of prematurity. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) develops as a consequence of the lung’s inability to produce enough surfactant necessary for maintaining the air spaces in the lungs in an open state. As a

Preterm Birth is one of the most important and interesting topics to any prospective parent. One of the reasons is because it happens so often and unexpectedly. Preterm Birth has become a personal interest in research simply because it has made a tremendous impact in my life. Having a Preterm Birth has taught me lots of things, such as, to grow as a person and as a mother, to see things from a different perspective, to get up, continue with my life, and perhaps to learn how to say “good bye” to a little one without even saying “hello.” For all the reasons above, there are some questions I would like to address: Why do preterm births happen and how can it be prevented? What kind of help is offered to parents and family members who go through the process of having a preterm birth? How effective and relevant is that help?

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