Premature birth occurs in 12 percent of all pregnancies in the United States according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). That makes it one of the top causes of infant death in the United States.
Risk Factors
There is currently no way to predict if a woman will experience premature labor and delivery, however; there are risk factors that may place a woman at a higher risk for premature labor and delivery. They include:
- Shortened cervix
- Previous premature labor and delivery
- Infections, such as bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis
- Women over age 35 and under age 19
Prevention of Premature Labor and Delivery
The infant may not be able to survive outside the womb if born early because the infant is not fully grown. If a woman goes into early labor, doctors will try to stop labor until week 38 is reached. There are two current ways to prevent this.
- Bed rest and medications to relax uterine muscles
- Treat the woman with progesterone. NICHD researched this study and found this prevention worked among all ethnic groups and improved outcomes for the infant. NICHD treated only high-risk pregnant women and studies are still ongoing to find if this treatment will work for other at-risk pregnant women, such as women carrying twins or multiples.
Home uterine monitors were once used to predict and prevent premature labor and delivery but NICHD researchers have found it is not as effective as once thought.
Health Challenges
Since preemies are born so early without being fully developed, there are some health challenges preemies may face throughout their lifetime. They can include:
- Low birth weight
- Breathing problems
- Underdeveloped organs and organ systems
- Greater risk for life-threatening infections
- Greater risk for respiratory distress syndrome (serious lung condition)
- Greater risk for cerebral palsy
- Greater risk for learning and developmental disabilities
Preemie’s Needs
Once born, preemies will stay in the hospital for several weeks or more in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Most are placed in an incubator.
There are three basic needs for a preemie. They are warmth, nutrition and growth.
Warmth
Premature infants do not have the necessary body fat to maintain their body temperature even when snuggled in blankets. Incubators will keep the infant warm, decrease the chance of infection and limit water loss. Incubators are transparent plastic with holes on the side so parents can still see and touch their infant.
Nutrition and Growth
Premature infants are weighed in grams, not pounds, and a preemie will weight between 500 (one pound) to 2,500 (5 pounds, 8 ounces) grams. A full-term infant weighs more than 2,500 grams. Preemies will grow at a faster rate than full-term babies because they will need special nutritional needs and their digestive systems are immature.
Premature infants cannot drink breast milk directly from the bottle or breast. Premature infants need to be fed slowly due to the risk of developing an intestinal infection. Since breast milk is the best source of nutrition because it has proteins that can help fight infection and promote growth. Special fortifiers, such as calcium and phosphorus, may be added to the breast milk to increase the vitamins and minerals in the milk.
Most preemies are fed breast milk pumped by the mother and fed to the infant through a feeding tube that goes through the infant’s nose or mouth into the stomach.
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