Essay The Importance of Prenatal Care

“Compared with European Americans, African American infants experience disproportionately high rates of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm delivery and are more than twice as likely to die during their 1st year of life”(Giscombé, C. L., & Lobel, M., 2005). The infant mortality rate for African Americans is 13.7 deaths per 1000 live births, more than twice the rate (5.7) for White Americans in the U.S. (Kung, Hoyert, Xu, & Murphy, 2008). A lot of the racial disparity in infant mortality can be explained by low birthweight and preterm delivery, which are also disproportionately and often experienced by African Americans (Martin et al., 2007).

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.

Premature birth is an important public health priority in terms of health of women and infants. Every year an estimated 15 million preterm babies are born and this number is still rising (WHO, 2015).In 2014, 1 of every 10 babies born in United States were premature and black infants were 50% more likely to be born premature than white, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific islander infants (CDC,2015). Almost 1 million children die each year due to complications of premature birth (WHO, 2015). Major survivors face lifelong disabilities like learning disabilities, hearing, visual, feeding, digestive, breathing and respiratory problems (CDC, 2015) and low birth weight (March of Dimes, 2014). A major challenge in decreasing the rate of preterm birth is

Receiving good prenatal care is extremely important for an expecting mother. The prenatal period has a great impact on the newborn's health. Low birth weight is a problem among a certain population of newborns. It is crucial to understand the conditions in poverty and its

Discuss disparities related to ethnic and cultural groups relative to low birth weight infants and preterm births.

-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

There was data exhibited as confirmation for this investigation expressed there were other uncontrollable issues at hand that would cause women to have low birth weight babies including lack of medical insurance, poverty stricken life and lack of finances/unemployed. Alongside these three variables, there were a few other environmental/ecological elements that were recognized including high crime rate, toxins/contamination, lack of transportation and drug and other substance abuse.

The article shows a correlation between the lack of prenatal care with infant mortality, and inadequate prenatal care with low birth-weight. Additionally, White women who delivered on a private service and received inadequate prenatal care experienced only slightly risk of low birth-weight. On the other hand, White and Black women who delivered on general service and received inadequate prenatal care experienced significantly higher risk of low birth-weight.

Preterm delivery and or low weight infants home both negative impacts on the babies, their families, communities and the nation. Babies born at preterm or low weight have increased the risk of death within the first year of life. Other complications, includes respiratory distress due to their underdeveloped

Maternal race is one of the most analysed, robust, and puzzling findings in the epidemiology of prematurity. It is believed that African-American women are two to three times more likely than white women to deliver preterm and this space appears to have been broadening in recent years, as rates of preterm birth decrease faster for white women than for black women. Many epidemiological studies have analysed whether this racial divergence in preterm and low birthweight rates can be explained by maternal age, education, lifestyle, and socio-economic position. Although, these factors explain only a small percentage of the racial

Prenatal care is the preventative measure used by healthcare professionals to assess the health and wellbeing of a mother and her unborn child. It consists of various blood and urine tests, examination of the health history of the mother and her family, ultrasounds and other exams ("Prenatal Care Fact Sheet", 2012). This care gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to examine the fetus for any adverse complications that may have arisen, and address any issues that may have occurred within the mother. Prenatal care visits also allow time for women to ask any questions that they may need to address about their pregnancy. It is vital that expectant mothers receive adequate prenatal care early in their pregnancy because the earlier that

First, there is inconsistent obstetric practice. Hospitals across the USA lack a standard approach to managing obstetric emergencies and the complications of pregnancy and childbirth are often identified too late. A second factor is the increasing number of women who present at antenatal clinics with chronic conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, which contribute to pregnancy-related complications. Many of these women could benefit from the closer coordination of antenatal and primary care – including case management and other community-based services that help them access care and overcome cost and other obstacles. Another factor is the general lack of good data – and related analysis – on maternal health outcomes. Only half

This article talks about a woman’s behaviors during pregnancy and how it can have a significant influence on her baby’s healthy development.(Colorado Children’s Campaign ) (2011) Such as women who smoke or drink alcohol during pregnancy, go without prenatal care or suffer from poor nutrition. Drinking, smoking, or drugs can result in having a child with a low birthweight. “The average weight for a newborn baby in the United States is about seven pounds. Approximately one in twelve U.S. babies, however, is born with low birthweight, classified as weighing less than five pounds, eight ounces at birth.”(Colorado Children’s Campaign ) ( pg. 1)(2011) “ low birthweight’s lead in the cause of infant mortality in the United States. Low birthweight also puts newborn babies at increased risk for a variety of acute health complications after birth, including respiratory distress syndrome and heart problems. Very low birthweight babies (those born weighing less than three pounds, four ounces) may suffer from long-term neurological and developmental disabilities.” (Colorado Children’s Campaign ) ( pg. 1)(2011) “The two primary reasons babies are born with low birthweight are premature birth (defined as a birth taking place before 37 full weeks of pregnancy) or a fetal growth restriction – a problem that occurs when a baby does not grow in the womb at a normal rate. A number of risk factors increase the likelihood that a woman will give birth to a low birthweight baby, including smoking, drinking or using illicit drugs during pregnancy, inadequate maternal weight gain during pregnancy or chronic maternal health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Additionally, women giving birth to multiples are more likely to have a low birthweight baby than women with single-baby births. Research shows that more than half of multiple birth babies are born

The study was conducted to determine what correlation maternal age has on the occurrence of stillbirth. This study was conducted in the United States on over 37 million births over a period of ten years. The population of the United States included only the continental states as well as Alaska and Hawaii. US territories were excluded from the study.

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?