Premature Babies - Is To Early To Late
If every expectant mother were to know that their baby had made
plans to arrive earlier than expected then word has it that all
pregnant women would be prepared and ready for the arrival of
the premature baby. Unfortunately the word premature means just
that - earlier than expected with no guideline to times or dates.
We all have faith in our doctor and trust that the due dates he
or she gives for the birth of our babies is 100% accurate. So
you can understand why a premature birth can come as a surprise
or shock for the pregnant woman. It is at a time like this where
some confused women question the GPs prognosis. Believe me when
I say doctors are never far wrong in their calculations, but
alas, they hold no crystal ball to foresee or predict that there
is a premature baby on the way.
Premature babies need a lot of care and attention after leaving
the womb so this is why we give thanks to the world of modern
technology and to all the life saving masters in the medical
profession that nurture our before-time babies with their
knowledge, thus increasing the odds for their survival.
Hospitals today are well equipped to deal with emergencies like
early births. The welfare of the premature baby is first and
foremost in all hospital maternity wards.
The reasons given behind why a woman may go into labour earlier
than anticipated are all health related factors e.g.
smoking-poor diet-infections-twins-cervical ineptitude and other
conditions that can be life threatening such as pre-eclampsia.
All of these can speed up the process where premature baby
births are likely.
Premature births can cause problems for the new born baby where
their ability to breathe properly is hampered by under developed
lungs. Babies delivered earlier than 32 weeks and weighing
approx 3lb 5oz are normally born with under developed lungs
which cannot conceal surfactant, a kind of frothy matter that
holds back the inner surfaces of the lungs from sticking
together and because of this the infant may experience severe
breathing problems - Respiratory distress syndrome otherwise
known as RDS. Depending on how early the baby is born the more
prone they are to suffer from RDS.
Birthing after the thirty second week then this condition is
less of a problem. If doctors feel you are at high risk of going
into labour sooner than your due date then a course of
injections/injection can be administered to help strengthen your
unborn babys lungs. A premature babys immune system is not fully
developed so therefore makes them more vulnerable to infections.
Early babies usually develop a touch of jaundice due to an
immature liver which is treatable by doctors with the medical
aid of phototherapy lamps.
Babies born at 22-23 weeks have a 24 per cent chance of
survival, at 24 weeks this rises to 31 per cent. Premature
babies delivered at 25 weeks then their chances are increased by
50 per cent and from 32 weeks onwards most babies can survive
without medical assistance.
During your pregnancy make sure to ease up on your intake or cut
out things that are considered to bring on a premature birth.
Pregnant women can become stressed throughout pregnancy (not
all) which is not good for your health and that of your unborn
child. A great option for you to consider in helping to combat
stress is to take up Yoga. This type of exercise will help you
relax before and after the birth. Yoga has proven to be very
comforting for women. Before any form of exercise always consult
your doctor
Premature babies can grow up as healthy as any other infant.
November the 12th 1987 was the due date given to me by my doctor
but my little boy decided to break the rules and made his
appearance on September 23rd weighing in at 3lb 12 oz. My
premature baby is now a strapping 6ft 2 mathematician.