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Preterm babies are classified according to the week they are born. The earlier they are born, the more immature they are, the higher the complications.
Pregnancy and childbirth are extremely intricate and complex procedures. During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes several physiological changes to support the growth and development of the baby. Similarly, the baby made by fusion of just an egg and sperm goes through tremendous developmental processes before becoming a full-term baby. The placenta that attaches a baby to the mother's womb also provides nutrients for the developing baby and removes the waste materials to be excreted by the mother's body. It supplies the chemicals and hormones to the growing baby and protects them from infections by providing immunoglobulins (immunity). When the baby is born before time, his organs, which were previously dependent on the placenta, are too immature to handle the challenges outside the mother’s womb ad have their functional limitations.
Preterm births can occur spontaneously, or anything that can negatively affect a pregnancy's meticulous process can result in preterm birth. Some of these factors are;
Some of the traits can put you at higher risk of preterm labor and preterm birth;
Around 15 million babies are born prematurely every year worldwide. About 12% of the infants in the USA are born prematurely. Preterm births occur more commonly in low socioeconomic groups, teenage girls, or women over 40 years of age.
Babies born prematurely are susceptible to developing the following health conditions;
1. Problems related to lungs:
2. Problems related to the brain: Preterm infants have an increased risk of bleeding in the brain called intraventricular bleeding
3. Problems related to the gut: A preterm baby's immature and delicate intestines can develop a severe inflammation called necrotizing enterocolitis.
4. Problems with the heart: There are more chances of developing heart defects like patent ductus arteriosus and inefficient blood pressure control leading to hypotension.
5. Neonatal sepsis: Due to a weak immune system, they can develop serious infections leading to sepsis.
6. Temperature control: They may also have problems maintaining temperature due to less body fat.
Developmental problems
When a baby is born prematurely, he must be kept in close supervision and monitoring to prevent complications. The following laboratory test should be performed to diagnose the problem and correct it immediately.
Two of the other disorders look like a preterm birth;
Preterm babies are admitted to special neonatal units, where they are monitored closely. Many babies need only supportive care, while some may need antibiotics for infections.
Medications
Your baby may need the following medicines:
Some complications may need some surgical procedures as decided by the doctors considering the requirements of the baby.
Preterm birth has to be handled carefully and vigilantly. Carelessness can result in severe consequences, even death. It has been the leading cause of mortality in neonates resulting in around 70% of neonatal deaths. Mortality is higher in developing countries. The most common complications are infections, respiratory failure, and congenital malformations. Infants who receive corticosteroids during the 24-34 weeks have better respiratory outcomes.
Some of the risks of getting a premature birth can be prevented by adopting the following habits.
Our clinical experts continually monitor the health and medical content posted on CURA4U, and we update our blogs and articles when new information becomes available. Last reviewed by Dr.Saad Zia on May 27, 2023.
Preterm birth (who.int)
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth
Global burden of preterm birth - Walani - 2020 - International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics - Wiley Online Library
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ijgo.13195
Preterm birth or a premature birth refers to a birth of a baby who is born before 37 weeks of gestation. The normal duration of pregnancy is 37-40 weeks. The baby passes through several stages of development throughout the pregnancy, especially the maturation of organs already formed at the end of pregnancy. For instance, the lungs, the brain, and liver fully develop in the final weeks of pregnancy. So the babies born before that time will face difficulties in using these organs in their immature forms, which is responsible for the emergence of most health problems. The infants suffer from these problems, and the mother and family face a lot of psychological and financial struggles due to preterm birth. The difficulties are more if the baby is born earlier than 32 weeks, causing increased disability and death rates. Almost 17% of infant deaths are due to preterm birth and low birth weight. Babies who are lucky enough to survive will face health problems like breathing difficulties due to immature lungs, feeding problems, cerebral palsy, vision and hearing problems, developmental delay, etc. such infants need special care just after birth to help them survive this critical period.