Born Too Soon
November 15, 2007
It's the leading cause of infant death in the first month of life. Premature birth. November is National Premature Awareness month. And today, UT Health Center's Dr. Mom shares this story of one little girl who was born too soon.
Premature birth is a birth that occurs before the 37th completed week of pregnancy. Most pregnancies last around 40 weeks. The incidence of premature birth has increased over 30% in the last 25 years with approximately 1 in 8 babies born early. Preterm birth affects about 500,000 babies each year and is the #1 killer of newborns.
The cost of care for surviving premature infants is 15 times higher than the cost of caring for a healthy full-term newborn. The average length of a hospital stay for a preterm infant is 13 days, whereas the average hospital stay for a term infant is 1.5 days. In 2005, the cost of preterm birth in the United States was at least $26.2 billion. There are not only financial costs but the emotional costs as well. Families spend many hours in the hospital talking to neonatal specialists and make many important decisions about their baby.
Some things you can do to have a healthy pregnancy are:- Seek early and regular prenatal care
- Eat healthy foods and do not skip meals
- Lead a healthy lifestyle before getting pregnant and while pregnant
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, illicit drugs; avoid 2nd hand smoke
- Know the signs of preterm labor
- Reduce stress
- Change in type of vaginal discharge (water, mucus, or bloody)
- Increase in amount of discharge
- Pelvic or lower abdominal pressure
- Constant, low, dull backache
- Mild abdominal cramps, with or without diarrhea
- Regular or frequent contractions or uterine tightening, often painless
- Ruptured membranes (your water breaks with a gush, or sometimes even a trickle of fluid)
- Previously had a preterm delivery
- Are pregnant with twins or higher number multiples
- Have certain uterine or cervical abnormalities
- Late or no prenatal care
- Are younger than 17 or older than 35
- Are African-American
- Are underweight or obese
- Have had vaginal bleeding in more than one trimester
- Smoke, abuse alcohol, or use drugs (especially cocaine) during pregnancy
- Have given birth within the last 18 months
- Experience domestic violence, including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Experience stressful situations before and/or during pregnancy
- Entered pregnancy is a less than healthy state or have infections
- Have high blood pressure
- Have prior existence of diabetes
The exact causes of preterm labor are not known. However, be aware of the warning signs and do not hesitate to talk with your care provider.
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