Premature birth, before 37 weeks, can lead to underdeveloped organs, breathing problems, and brain bleeding. Factors include infections, placenta problems, and structural abnormalities. Symptoms of preterm labor include pain, contractions, and bleeding. Treatment includes delaying labor and administering corticosteroids. Premature babies are at risk of respiratory distress, jaundice, and brain development issues. They are also six times more likely to die within the first week.
Premature birth, also known as preterm birth, is when the baby is born before the 37th week of pregnancy. There can be problems associated with premature babies, such as underdeveloped organs, breathing problems, and bleeding in the brain. The more mature the baby is at birth, the better the prognosis, with babies born before 34 weeks particularly vulnerable.
There are many factors thought to be involved in premature birth, although the precise reason is often unknown. Infections of the genital tract, problems with the placenta, and structural abnormalities of the uterus or cervix are some of the reasons for premature birth. A history of preterm labor increases your risk, as do pregnancy with more than one baby, failure to gain sufficient weight, anemia during pregnancy, smoking or alcohol use, and becoming pregnant due to fertility treatments .
Symptoms of preterm labor include increased vaginal discharge, a change in the type of discharge, abdominal or lower back pain, and having more than four contractions in an hour. Some of the symptoms that should never be ignored include severe and persistent abdominal pain; vaginal bleeding; painful urination or no urination; vomiting and fever; severe headaches especially when accompanied by numbness; slurred; shortness of breath; and dizziness.
If premature birth is imminent, there are a number of factors that influence what happens next. If possible, labor will be delayed. This can be achieved by giving the mother drugs to stop contractions and corticosteroids to the baby in an attempt to speed up the development of his lungs. The lungs are one of the last organs to develop in the womb, which is why a premature baby is especially vulnerable to breathing difficulties. Should there be other complications such as preeclampsia or placental abruption, it may be considered best for the birth to take place immediately.
Problems affecting premature babies include respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, hypothermia, feeding difficulties and brain development. They are also six times more likely to die within the first week than full-term newborns. For this reason, most premature babies spend their first days or weeks in NICUs. Later in life, there is a higher risk of developing health conditions such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, gastrointestinal problems, and hearing and vision loss. The news isn’t all bad, however, as there are also many cases of premature babies surviving and living healthy lives.
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