Why Babies born Premature and Risk They Face in Future?

In This Article I will Discuss Why Babies born Premature and Risk They Face in Future. I would also discuss what is Premature Birth.

Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy are considered premature. Premature babies are also sometimes referred to as “preemies.” Premature mothers are often anxious and frightened. Premature birth is at higher risk for one or more complications.

The earlier the baby is born. The of complications increases. Any complications that a premature newborn experiences will get treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

At the beginning of the seventh month of pregnancy, you will begin the third trimester, from here, you will see the rapid growth of a baby. However, in the seventh month of pregnancy, more than just growth occurs.

In this article, provided by Sai Siva Children’s Hospital you can know more about: what is prematurity, Why are babies born prematurely, Who is at risk for prematurity, and risks of a baby born at seven months.

What is Premature Birth?

A baby who was born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered as premature or born too early. Other terms used for prematurity are preterm birth.

Many premature babies weigh less than 2500 grams, which can be called low birth weight. Even older, premature babies are still at risk by health problems.

Why Are Babies Born Prematurely?

In about half of all cases, the reason for premature birth is unknown. Some causes of premature birth are:Multiple pregnancies (twins or more)
The mother has a problem with uterus or cervix
The mother gets an infection
If the mother suffers from the illness, which means that the baby must be born earlier, for example. pre-eclampsia
The mother has a health condition like diabetes
A history of premature birth.

Immediately consult a doctor if you are pregnant is less than 37 weeks and see signs of premature birth, such as contractions, bleeding, mucus from the vagina, or sudden baby movement decrease. The doctor may try to stop or slow down labour. But every day, the baby stays in your womb, increasing their chances of survival and decrease the risk of health complications.

Who is at Risk for Premature Delivery?

some things can make preterm birth more likely they are: Women with these risk factors give birth faster earlier:
Having had previous preterm labour or birth
Getting pregnant within a short time of first pregnancy
Carrying twins, triplets, or more babies at a time
if the mother is younger than 16 or older than 35
Having an abnormal cervix or uterus
Having long-term health problems like heart or kidney disease
Smoking
Using illegal drugs such as cocaine

Women who experience one of the following problems during pregnancy are more likely to give birth early:Infections
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Blood-clotting problems
Problems with the placenta
Vaginal bleeding

The Risks Of A Baby Born At 7 Months:

Short-Term Complications:

In the first weeks, the possible complications of premature birth may include:

Respiratory problems: Most babies have mature lungs by 36 weeks of gestation. Premature babies may have difficulty breathing due to an immature respiratory system. Some of the baby’s lungs lack surfactant (a substance that allows the lungs to expand) which can develop respiratory distress syndrome where lungs cannot expand or contract normally. Premature babies can also develop lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Also, some premature babies may experience prolonged respiration known as apnea. Also causes Transient tachypnea, Pneumonia.



Heart problems: The most common heart problems in premature babies are clear ductus arteriosus (PDA) and low blood pressure (hypotension). Low blood pressure may require adjustments by intravenous fluids, medications, and sometimes transfusions.



PDA is a heart condition that causes difficulty in breathing after birth due to an open blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. During fetal development, the ductus arteriosus is opened to allow blood from the lungs to aortic. Fetus produces a compound called prostaglandin E, which circulates its blood, keeping the ductus arteriosus open. It can cause heart murmurs, heart failure and other complications.

In time, prostaglandin E levels will decrease, which results in obstruction of ductus arteriosus, which helps the baby’s lungs to receive blood needed for proper postpartum function. In the case of preterm birth, prostaglandin E can remain at the same level and cause the arteries open. Treatment includes drugs that stop or delay the production of prostaglandin E.

Brain problems: The faster the baby is born, the higher the risk of bleeding in the brain, called intraventricular haemorrhage. Babies who are born early have an increased risk of bleeding in the brain because immature blood vessels may not tolerate changes in blood circulation that occur during labour. It can cause future complications such as mental retardation cerebral palsy, and learning difficulties. Intracranial haemorrhage occurs in about 1/3 of babies born from weeks 24 to 26. Most bleeding is mild and disappears with little short-term effect. However, some babies may experience higher brain bleeding, which causes permanent brain damage.



Inability to Maintain Body Temperature: Premature babies can quickly lose body heat. They do not have body fat and cannot produce enough heat to fight what is lost through the surface of their body. If body temperature is too low, this can cause low body temperature (hypothermia).

Hypothermia of premature infants can cause respiratory problems and low blood sugar levels. Also, premature babies can consume all food energy to stay warm. Therefore, younger premature babies need additional heat from warmers or incubators until they become older and can maintain body temperature without support.

Gastrointestinal problems: Premature babies have an immature digestive system to absorb nutrients, resulting in complications necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). This potentially dangerous condition, in which cells lining the intestinal wall are injured, can occur in premature babies after they start eating.



In such cases, they receive their original nutrition through intravenous (IV) nutrition. This is called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). After a few days, newborns may be given breast milk or formula, because they may still not be able to swallow or suck on their own.

Blood problems and Anemia: Premature babies are at risk of developing blood problems such as anaemia and neonatal jaundice. Anaemia is a common condition where the body does not have enough red blood cells. Anaemia is a medical condition caused by low levels of red blood cells. Red blood cells are essential because they contain a substance called oxygenated haemoglobin. For most newborns, the level of red blood cells must be more than 15 grams. For severe anaemia, treatment may include a newborn’s red blood cell transfusion.

Jaundice: Jaundice in newborns is the yellow discolouration of the baby’s skin and eyes that occurs because the baby’s blood contains excess bilirubin, a yellow substance, from liver or red blood cells. Although there are many causes of jaundice, this is more common in premature babies.



Metabolism problems: Premature babies often have metabolic issues. Some premature babies can experience abnormally low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This can happen because premature babies tend to store less glucose than healthy born babies. Premature babies also have greater difficulty converting stored glucose into a more useful and more active form of glucose.

Problems with Immune System: An underdeveloped immune system, which is common in premature babies, can lead to a higher risk of infection. Infection in infants can spread rapidly to the bloodstream, which causes sepsis, an infection that spreads to the blood.

Long-term health problems Caused due to premature birth?



Premature birth can lead to these long term health problems:Intestinal problems in future are sometimes caused by a disease that affects premature babies, with necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC.)This disease attacks the baby’s intestines. The intestine helps your body break down (digest) food. While most babies get better with NEC, some may have bowel problems later in life. For example, scars can cause intestinal obstruction. Some babies who had surgery to remove part of the intestine may then have difficulty in getting nutrients from food in the future.
Infection: This can be pneumonia (in Lungs) and meningitis (inflammation of the brain).

Behavioural and Mental Health problems: Children who have premature birth are more likely to have specific behavioural and mental health problems and developmental delays.

Vision Disorders: It causes retinopathy prematurity (ROP). Premature babies are more likely to have blurred vision than healthy babies.
Hearing Loss: It is a common congenital disability in premature babies. Premature babies lose hearing more often than healthy babies who are born on time.
Dental Problems: including slow tooth growth, discolouration of teeth or teeth that are bent or misplaced

Chronic Health Issues: Most of the Premature babies are more likely to have chronic health problems, some of which may require hospitalisation than usually born children. Infections, asthma, and feeding disorders tend to develop or persist. Premature babies also have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Conclusion

Progress has been made in caring for sick and premature babies. Today more babies survive, even though they are born early and are very young. Preventing premature birth is one of the best ways to avoid risk.

Regular prenatal care with a doctor is the best way to prevent premature birth. Prenatal visits check with a doctor will maintain your health and the health of your unborn baby. During pregnancy, it is essential to follow a healthy diet, which helps you gain enough weight to stay healthy and helps in baby’s growth