The Rate Of Preterm Birth Essay

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.

Giving birth to a baby is the most amazing and miraculous experiences for parents and their loved ones. Every woman’s birth story is different and full of joy. Furthermore, the process from the moment a woman knows that she’s pregnant to being in the delivering room is very critical to both her and the newborn baby. Prenatal care is extremely important and it can impact greatly the quality of life of the baby. In this paper, the topic of giving birth will be discussed thoroughly by describing the stories of two mothers who gave birth in different decades and see how their prenatal cares are different from each other with correlation of the advancement of modern medicine between four decades.

Healthy childbirth is defined as a safe, natural process that rarely requires medical intervention (Goer & Romano, 2012). The medical model of care, however, often includes interventions that are not supported by the evidence and can increase a woman’s risk of having a cesarean section. These intrusions into labor and birth often lead to what has been called the “cascade of interventions” (DeClercq, Sakala, Corry,

Imagine awaiting one's little miracle, and having to experience the complications of a premature birth. “A staggering 15 million babies are born premature each year around the world” (Mayo Clinic Staff). Of that number, 1 million of

“Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period” (sec. 5.2). Mothers play significant roles in the outcome of infants. It is important to remember that the health of a mother is significantly important, even before the woman becomes pregnant. Maintaining an adequate diet, and performing regular physical activities is essential in maintaining a healthy life. Poor health conditions lead to higher risk of chronic diseases and ultimately complicates pregnancies. Data shows that “287,000 women died due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications in 2010” (Data, statistics and epidemiology, n.d., p. 1). It appears that the trend has decreased in 2013, compared to the results that were reported in 1990. Deaths that occurred typically occurred in low-resource settings, but were typically caused by “hemorrhage, hypertension, infections, and indirect causes, mostly due to interaction between pre-existing medical conditions and pregnancy” (Maternal mortality, n.d., para. 1). A majority of these situations could have been prevented.

Preterm birth refers when a baby is born before or within 37weeks, meaning anytime between 20 to 37 weeks. Each week marks a development stage, it is significantly important for a baby to reach the maximum weeks necessary for a high percentage of survival and well-being. Per Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection used to lower the risk of preterm birth), a baby born at 25 weeks has a better rate of survival than the 22 or 23 weeks old. In U.S.A the ratio is 1:10 born prematurely, meaning 400,000 babies born too soon.

Over thirty one percent of women in the United States have given birth via cesarean section (Lothian, 198). With cesarean rates this high it is necessary for one to ask, are these interventions truly medically necessary and are they beneficial for the mother and child? Cesarean sections can lead to a longer recovery time span for the mother. This can result in many troublesome issues for the mother and the newborn, like delayed bonding and other physical challenges and demands that new mother’s experiences, which can take a huge toll her mind and body. Natural births attended by midwifes attended are the preferred method of

Being born preterm is a risk factor that put infants to higher risks of chronic diseases and mortality later in life. They have different causes and risks of mortality, morbidity, impaired growth, and non-communicable diseases. Preterm infants are becoming vulnerable to complications due to impaired respiration, difficulty in feeding, poor body temperature regulation and high risk of infection. Thus, being born preterm predisposes infants to higher risks of chronic diseases and mortality later in life. Babies born preterm do not meet the same growth targets as babies born at term, continue to remain below the standard growth curve and demonstrate reduced ability for catch-up

Jensen, Wendy M. White, and Charles C. Coddington, there are about 10% to 15% of all deliveries in the United States occur before the 39 week gestation period with absolutely no medical indication for early induction. Even though the risk of maternal and neonatal complications are more likely to increase than the risk in post-term deliveries (1312). Robert Goldenberg presented another generalization by mentioning that pre-term labors are more prone to resulting in an elective induction when reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization are used, which will result in an overall increase of pre-term birth in multiple gestations (75-84). Although there are many risks when choosing elective induction in pre-term labor, it may save the mother or child’s life. Pre-term labor has recently been used as a way to “assess the value of biomarkers for the prediction of pre-term birth”(Goldenberg 81). Gerson D. Hernandez noted that a rise of all labor inductions from 1990 to 2004 put the OB/GYN community around the world on a high alert because the rate was a 12.6% increase which does not even include the past 10 years (787-94). Despite the problems many women and children face when giving birth or being born pre-term, there are an equal percentage of risks that develop during all pregnancies. For example, the general morbidity rate was the same percentage for all periods of gestation including full-term and post-term pregnancies (Hernandez 787-94).

Preterm Birth in the United States: The Impact of Stressful Life Events Prior to Conception and Maternal Age

When it comes time in a woman’s life for her to give birth to her child, it can be considered one of the most exhilarating, yet terrifying times of her life. Simply just knowing the different birthing methods, however, can help to ease the terrifying part of giving birth and allow the woman to enjoy this time in her life. Thankfully, with all the advancements in technology and medicine that we have today, women have more options to choose from which are safer for both them, and their baby. The two main birthing methods are vaginal birth and caesarean birth. However, from these two methods come options for women to choose from, such as: natural birth, water birth, epidural anesthesia, and few others. With all these choices for women to

There’s an estimated 353,000 babies born each day all around the world, every baby that’s born is impacted in the womb by its mother’s lifestyle choices. Many people are familiar with the saying “healthy mom, healthy baby.” Most women that are expecting, are warned that drinking alcohol, smoking and even eating unpasteurized cheeses can have serious consequences for the growth and development of their unborn children. The most common result of an unhealthy pregnancy is premature birth, any baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature. An estimated 15 million babies are born premature every year which is more than 1 in 10 babies. Regrettably, premature birth complications are the leading cause of death among children under the age of 5 years old. A mother’s

Centers for disease control and prevention 2013 indicates that approximately 500 thousand premature infants are born each year (CDC, 2014). Premature births occur in 12% of births and the majority of these infants require admission to NICU (Hamilton, Martin, Osterman, & Curtin, 2014), with seven percent hospitalized for six or more days (Infant Morbidity, 2013). These statistics highlight the continual increase of 31 percent since the early 1980’s for premature births worldwide (Blencowe et al., 2012; Dusing, Van Drew, & Brown, 2012). While all newborns are vulnerable, premature infants are at increased risks for long term and complex health problems, and continue to be the number one cause of newborn death (Beck et al., 2010; Newnam & Parrott, 2013). Additionally, the Institute of Medicine estimates the cost of premature births result in over 26 billion per year (Behrman & Butler, 2006).

Preterm birth is defined as the birth of a baby before 37 weeks gestation age. The stages of preterm can be subdivided into different stages. Very Preterm is 20-32 weeks, Moderately Preterm is 33-36 weeks, Early Term is 37-38 weeks gestation stage. According to the statistics gathered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (2015) in 2012, there are more than 1 in 10 babies born preterm every year with an estimated 15 million born preterm every year. There are a wide variety of factors that cause preterm birth, examples including: a multiple pregnancy, substance abuse and smoking, assisted reproduction and a low socio-economic status. Studies have also shown that certain ethnicities are at a higher risk of delivering preterm than others. According to an external study included Nosarti et al (2010) in the USA, 19% of black non-Hispanic pregnancies

Life begins inside of the female body of a soon to be mother. After the sperm of that woman’s significant partner has reached her fertilized egg, she is then announced pregnant after her first missed period. During the mother’s nine month pregnancy, she could be experiencing excess weight, swollen feet or ankles, vomiting, emotional outburst, inability to sleep, unusual cravings, or depression. Normally, after these rough nine months of pregnancy for the mother, she is due to give birth to her newborn precious child. Everyday of the year, there are about 360,000 new born babies that are born. This enormous amount of births does not just represent one specific area, it is spread throughout the entire world. I have a personal connection with this topic and it is more than just an interest. For my future career, I have chosen to study to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse, preparing to become an Obstetrician.. Obstetrics is the branch of medicine and surgery concerned with childbirth and the care of women giving birth. They concentrate on the pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period along with the expecting families. These physicians monitor the mothers and their unborn babies by using ultrasounds, listening to the baby’s heartbeat, taking measurements and urine samples, and answering questions or concerns that the pregnant woman may have about herself or her child. This all occurs in between her nine months of pregnancy. The mother should be able to feel comfortable with