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Some of the complications related to prematurity are not apparent until years after the birth. For example, children who were born prematurely (especially if born less than 1500 grams) have a higher likelihood of having behavioral problems, delays in motor development, and difficulties in school. Throughout life they are more likely to require services provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists or speech therapists.
Some of the complications related to prematurity are not apparent until years after the birth. For example, children who were born prematurely (especially if born less than 1500 grams) have a higher likelihood of having behavioral problems, delays in motor development, and difficulties in school. Throughout life they are more likely to require services provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists or speech therapists.

⚫
The earliest premature baby known to have survived as of May 2007 was Amillia Taylor (born [[24 October]] [[2006]]) of [[Miami]], [[Florida]], at 21 weeks gestation.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2290052.ece | title = Premature births: A miraculous survival story | publisher = The Independent Online | date = [[2007-02-21]]}}</ref> At birth she was 9 inches (23 cm) long and weighed 10 ounces (283 grams).<ref name="bbc">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6384621.stm | title = Most-premature baby allowed home | publisher = BBC News | date = [[2007-02-21]] | accessdate=2007-05-05 }}</ref> She suffered [[digestion|digestive]] and [[respiration|respiratory]] problems, together with a [[brain]] [[bleeding|hemorrhage]].


== Treatment measures for a premature infant ==
== Treatment measures for a premature infant ==
Line 135: Line 133:
In a separate study by McHaffie{{ref|4}}, researchers found that parents of very low birth weight infants (<1500g/3.3lbs) follow a similar but slightly different course, likely because their infants tend to be more in peril. Mothers travel from anticipatory grief to anxious waiting to positive anticipation while the infant is in the NICU. After discharge the mother travels from anxious adjustment to exhausted accommodation to confident caring, usually within the first three months following discharge.
In a separate study by McHaffie{{ref|4}}, researchers found that parents of very low birth weight infants (<1500g/3.3lbs) follow a similar but slightly different course, likely because their infants tend to be more in peril. Mothers travel from anticipatory grief to anxious waiting to positive anticipation while the infant is in the NICU. After discharge the mother travels from anxious adjustment to exhausted accommodation to confident caring, usually within the first three months following discharge.


==Records==
==Worlds smallest premature baby==

This record was for some time held by a child born at 26 weeks weighing just 9.9 oz (280g) and only 9.5 inches (24cm) long<ref>http://www.hindu.com/seta/2004/08/26/stories/2004082600411400.htm</ref>. This record was broken in [[September 2004]] by another child, [[Rumaisa Rahman]], who was born in the same hospital<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/08/health/main672488.shtml</ref>. The new record holder was a twin where as the former was a single birth.
⚫
The earliest premature baby known to have survived as of May 2007 was Amillia Taylor (born [[24 October]] [[2006]]) of [[Miami]], [[Florida]], at 21 weeks gestation.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2290052.ece | title = Premature births: A miraculous survival story | publisher = The Independent Online | date = [[2007-02-21]]}}</ref> At birth she was 9 inches (23 cm) long and weighed 10 ounces (283 grams).<ref name="bbc">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6384621.stm | title = Most-premature baby allowed home | publisher = BBC News | date = [[2007-02-21]] | accessdate=2007-05-05 }}</ref> She suffered [[digestion|digestive]] and [[respiration|respiratory]] problems, together with a [[brain]] [[bleeding|hemorrhage]].

The record for the smallest premature baby to survive was held for some time by a child born at 26 weeks weighing 9.9 oz (280g) and 9.5 inches (24cm) long<ref>http://www.hindu.com/seta/2004/08/26/stories/2004082600411400.htm</ref>. This record was broken in [[September 2004]] by another child, Rumaisa Rahman, who was born in the same hospital<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/08/health/main672488.shtml</ref> at 25 weeks gestation. The new record holder was a twin where as the former was a single birth. At birth she was eight inches (20 cm) long and weighed 244 [[gram]]s (8.6 [[ounce]]s). She has a [[twin]] sister, Hiba, also a small baby, weighing 563 grams (1 pound 4 ounces) at birth. During [[pregnancy]] their mother had suffered from [[pre-eclampsia]], which causes dangerously high [[blood pressure]] putting the baby into distress and leading to birth by [[caesarean section]].Shaik left the hospital at the end of December, while Rumaisa remained there until [[10 February]], [[2005]] by which time her weight had increased to 1.18kg (2 pounds 10 ounces)<ref>CBS News. [[8 February]] [[2005]]. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/08/health/main672488.shtml World's Smallest Baby Goes Home]</ref>. Generally healthy, the twins had to undergo laser [[eye]] surgery to correct visual problems, a common occurrence among premature babies.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 09:12, 30 May 2007

Preterm birth
SpecialtyObstetrics and gynaecology Edit this on Wikidata

Premature birth (also known as preterm birth) is defined medically as childbirth occurring earlier than 37 completed weeks of gestation. Most pregnancies last about 40 weeks. About 12 percent of babies in the United States — or 1 in 8 — are born prematurely each year. [1] In 2003, more than 490,000 babies in the U.S. were born prematurely. Worldwide rates of prematurity are more difficult to obtain as the lack of widespread professional obstetric care in developing regions makes determination of gestational age less reliable. The World Health Organization instead tracks rates of low birth weight, which occurred in 16.5 percent of births in less developed regions in 2000.[2] It is estimated that one-third of these low birth weight deliveries is due to prematurity.

The shorter the term of pregnancy, the greater the risks of complications. Infants born prematurely have an increased risk of death in the first year of life (infant mortality), with most of that occurring in the first month of life (neonatal mortality). Worldwide, prematurity accounts for 10% of neonatal mortality, or around 500,000 deaths per year.[3] In the U.S. where many of the infectious and other causes of neonatal death have been markedly reduced, prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal mortality at 25%.[4] Prematurely born infants are also at greater risk for developing serious health problems such as: cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, gastrointestinal problems, mental retardation, vision and hearing loss.[5] It has also been shown that premature babies are prone to developing depression as teenagers. [6]

Although there are several known risk factors for prematurity (see below), nearly half of all premature births have no known cause. When conditions permit, doctors may attempt to stop premature labor, so that the pregnancy can have a chance to continue to full term, thereby increasing the baby's chances of health and survival. However, there is currently no reliable means to stop or prevent preterm labor in all cases. In fact, the rate of preterm births in the United States has actually increased 30% in the past two decades.[7]

In developed countries premature infants are usually cared for in a special section of the hospital known as the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). The physicians who specialize in the care of very sick or premature babies are known as neonatologists. In the NICU, babies are kept in incubators (also called isolettes), which are bassinets enclosed in plastic with climate control equipment designed to keep babies warm and limit their exposure to germs. Modern neonatal intensive care involves sophisticated measurement of temperature, respiration, cardiac function, oxygenation, and even brain activity. Treatments may include fluids and nutrition through intravenous catheters, oxygen supplementation, mechanical ventilation support, and medications. In developing countries where advanced equipment and even electricity may not be available or reliable, simple measures such as kangaroo care (skin to skin warming), encouraging breastfeeding, and basic infection control measures can significantly reduce preterm morbidity and mortality.

Factors

There are many different factors which may contribute to a preterm birth.

Factors related to maternal disease or condition that have been shown to increase the risk of preterm birth, with associated odds ratio (OR) when known include:

  • high blood pressure (OR = 4.06) (Goldenberg)
  • preeclampsia (OR = 4.0) (Banhidy)
  • age > 35 (OR = 1.8) (Martius)
  • age < 18 (OR = 3.4) (Martius)
  • short cervix (Goldenberg)
  • maternal diabetes (Rosenberberger)
  • anxiety (Dole)
  • periodontal disease (OR = 4.45%) (Jeffcoat)

Whether or not urinary tract infections directly cause preterm birth is uncertain, however, it is known that urinary tract infections increase pre-eclampsia which as stated above increases the risk of preterm birth. Sexually transmitted disease STD, Beta Strep, kidney disease, and uterine infections are also suspected of increasing the risk of preterm birth.

Adequate nutrition is key to helping deliver at full term. Studies have shown that a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol could help reduce the risk of a preterm delivery. (BMJ: British Medical Journal)

Factors related to pregnancy history that have been shown to increase the risk of preterm birth include:

  • prior preterm delivery (OR = 2.79)
  • prior induced abortion (OR = 1.6)
  • antepartum hemorrhage / vaginal bleeding during labor (Hanagan)
  • prior miscarriage (Goldenberg)

Multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.) are another significant factor in preterm birth. The March of Dimes Multicenter Prematurity and Prevention Study found that 54% of twins were delivered preterm vs. 9.6% of singleton births. (Gardner)

Women who have tried to conceive for more than a year before getting pregnant are at a higher risk for premature birth. A recent study done by Dr. Olga Basso of the University of Aarhus in Denmark and Dr. Donna Baird of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences suggests that women who had difficulty conceiving were about 40 percent higher risk of preterm birth than those who had conceived easily.

Finally, the use of tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy also increases the chance of preterm delivery. Tobacco is the most commonly abused drug during pregnancy and also contributes significantly to low birth weight delivery.(Shino) (Parazzini)

Prevention of preterm birth

Some newer research has identified possible methods to prevent preterm birth, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, and preterm labor.

This research includes self-care methods to reduce infections, nutritional and psychological interventions, and the control of preterm birth risk factors (eg. working long hours while standing on feet, carbon monoxide exposure, domestic abuse, and other factors). Injection with a form of progesterone (17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate), taking fish oil supplements, and self-monitoring vaginal PH followed by yogurt treatment or Clindamycin treatment if the PH was too high all are effective at reducing the risk of preterm birth. [8] [9]

This research is quite new; however, doctors using these newer strategies have obtained preterm birth rates as low as 1 to 2%, compared to the 11 to 16% currently in the US. [citation needed]

Symptoms and indications

The symptoms of an imminent premature birth include:

  • Four or more uterine contractions in one hour, before 37 weeks' gestation.
  • A watery discharge from the vagina which may indicate premature rupture of the membranes surrounding the baby.
  • Pressure in the pelvis or the sensation that the baby has "dropped".
  • Menstrual cramps or abdominal pain.
  • Pain or rhythmic tightening in lower abdomen or back.
  • Vaginal spotting or bleeding.

Maternal treatments

There are two tactics that can be used to deal with a potential premature birth: delay the arrival of birth as much as possible, or prepare the prospectively premature fetus for arrival. Both of these tactics may be used simultaneously.

Delaying the premature birth from occurring is typically the most favored option. This gives the fetus or fetuses as much time as possible to mature in the womb. There are a number of techniques that can be used to try to accomplish this. The first resort is usually complete bed rest. Maintaining a horizontal position reduces pressure on the cervix, which may allow it to stay lengthened longer, and avoiding unnecessary movement may reduce uterine irritation, which can lead to contractions. Likewise, proper nutrition and especially hydration are important: dehydration can lead to premature uterine contractions. In a hospital setting, a drug-free IV drip may be used to try to stop premature labor simply by improving the mother's hydration. Lastly, there are anti-contraction medications (tocolytics), such as ritodrine, fenoterol, nifedipine and atosiban.

Premature birth can not always be prevented. Severely premature infants may have underdeveloped lungs, because they are not yet producing their own surfactant. This can lead directly to Respiratory Distress Syndrome, also called hyaline membrane disease, in the neonate. To try to reduce the risk of this outcome, pregnant mothers are routinely administered at least one course of glucocorticoids, a steroid that easily passes the placental barrier and stimulates growth in the lungs of the fetus. Typical glucocorticoids that would be administered in this context are betamethasone or dexamethasone, often when the fetus has reached viability at 23 weeks. In cases where premature birth is imminent, a second "rescue" dose of steroids may be administered 12 to 24 hours before the anticipated birth. There is no research consensus on the efficacy and side-effects of a second dose of steroids, but the consequences of RDS are so severe that a second dose is often viewed as worth the risk.

Newborn complications

Premature infants show physical signs of their prematurity and may develop other problems as well. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

Neurologic

Cardiovascular

Respiratory

Gastrointestinal / metabolic

Hematologic

Infectious

The earliest gestational age at which the infant has at least a 50% chance of survival is referred to as the limit of viability[2]. As NICU care has improved over the last 40 years, viability has reduced to approximately 24 weeks, although rare survivors have been documented as early as 21 weeks.[3] As risk of brain damage and developmental delay is significant at that threshold even if the infant survives, there are ethical controversies over the aggressiveness of the care rendered to such infants. The limit of viability has also become a factor in the abortion debate.

Some of the complications related to prematurity are not apparent until years after the birth. For example, children who were born prematurely (especially if born less than 1500 grams) have a higher likelihood of having behavioral problems, delays in motor development, and difficulties in school. Throughout life they are more likely to require services provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists or speech therapists.

Treatment measures for a premature infant

The required care for premature infants differs greatly depending on the child's gestational age, birth weight, and overall maturity. Measures common among extremely premature infants include:

  • Placing the infant in a warmer or isolette. Premature infants are easily susceptible to cold-stress or hypothermia and infection, and preventing these is a key priority.
  • Infants under 32 weeks typically do not produce enough surfactant in their lungs to enable them to breathe on their own. In these cases, surfactant will be administered to assist them.
  • In extremely premature infants, a breathing tube may be inserted in the infant's trachea, and a ventilator and supplemental oxygen may be used.
  • Adequate nutrition, via a feeding tube or, in extremely premature infants, intravenously. If a feeding tube is used, expressed breast milk from the mother or a breastmilk bank can be used, which lowers the risk of infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis.

Prematurity and the parent

Adjustment after preterm birth for parents can be very difficult. The NICU setting is foreign and often intimidating and scary. Additionally, parents often have difficulty becoming involved in their child's care because of the NICU setting. This affects the parents transition into parenthood because they are unable to fulfill their expected roles. Furthermore, often premature birth is accompanied by a difficult NICU course and therefore parents are forced to confront difficult decisions about their child's care. Studies have shown that the transition to parenthood for parents of preterm infants follows a different and longer course than that of parents with term infants.

In a study by Jackson et al (2003)[4] researchers found that both mothers and fathers travel a course from alienation to responsibility to confidence to familiarity in approximately the first 18 months of the child's life.

In a separate study by McHaffie[5], researchers found that parents of very low birth weight infants (<1500g/3.3lbs) follow a similar but slightly different course, likely because their infants tend to be more in peril. Mothers travel from anticipatory grief to anxious waiting to positive anticipation while the infant is in the NICU. After discharge the mother travels from anxious adjustment to exhausted accommodation to confident caring, usually within the first three months following discharge.

Records

The earliest premature baby known to have survived as of May 2007 was Amillia Taylor (born 24 October 2006) of Miami, Florida, at 21 weeks gestation.[10] At birth she was 9 inches (23 cm) long and weighed 10 ounces (283 grams).[11] She suffered digestive and respiratory problems, together with a brain hemorrhage.

The record for the smallest premature baby to survive was held for some time by a child born at 26 weeks weighing 9.9 oz (280g) and 9.5 inches (24cm) long[12]. This record was broken in September 2004 by another child, Rumaisa Rahman, who was born in the same hospital[13] at 25 weeks gestation. The new record holder was a twin where as the former was a single birth. At birth she was eight inches (20 cm) long and weighed 244 grams (8.6 ounces). She has a twin sister, Hiba, also a small baby, weighing 563 grams (1 pound 4 ounces) at birth. During pregnancy their mother had suffered from pre-eclampsia, which causes dangerously high blood pressure putting the baby into distress and leading to birth by caesarean section.Shaik left the hospital at the end of December, while Rumaisa remained there until 10 February, 2005 by which time her weight had increased to 1.18kg (2 pounds 10 ounces)[14]. Generally healthy, the twins had to undergo laser eye surgery to correct visual problems, a common occurrence among premature babies.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, Ventura SJ, Menacker F, Kirmeyer S. “Births: Final Data for 2004.” National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 55, no 1. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 2006.
  2. ^ http://www.who.int/research/en/
  3. ^ Child Health Research Project Special Report. "Reducing Perinatal and Neonatal Mortality." Meeting Report, vol. 3, no 1. Baltimore, Maryland, May 10-12, 1999.
  4. ^ Mathew TJ and MacDorman MF. "Infant Mortality Statistics from the 2003 Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set." National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 54, no 16. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 2006.
  5. ^ March of Dimes. The Growing Problem of Prematurity. October 2006.
  6. ^ The Age Depression Linked to Premature Birth. May 2004.
  7. ^ Mayo Clinic. Premature Birth. 6 Nov 2006.
  8. ^ Lamont RF and Jaggat AN. Emerging drug therapies for preventing spontaneous preterm labor and preterm birth. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2007 16:337-45. PMID 17302528
  9. ^ Hoyme UB and Saling E. Efficient prematurity prevention is possible by pH-self measurement and immediate therapy of threatening ascending infection. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2004 115:148-53. PMID 15262346
  10. ^ "Premature births: A miraculous survival story". The Independent Online. 2007-02-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Most-premature baby allowed home". BBC News. 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ http://www.hindu.com/seta/2004/08/26/stories/2004082600411400.htm
  13. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/08/health/main672488.shtml
  14. ^ CBS News. 8 February 2005. World's Smallest Baby Goes Home

Bibliography

Jeffcoat, Marjorie K., Nico C. Geurs, Michael S. Reddy, Suzanne P. Cliver, Robert L. Goldenberg, and John C. Hauth. "Periodontal Infection and Preterm Birth." The Journal of the American Dental Association 132 (2001): 875-880. 25 Apr. 2007 <http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/abstract/132/7/875>.

Martius, J. A., T. Steck, M. K. Oehler, and K. H. Wulf. "Risk Factors Associated with Preterm (." Eruopean Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology (1998): 183-189. 1 May 2007 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9846665&dopt=Citation>.

Parazzini, F, L. Chatenoud, M. Surace, L. Tozzi, B. Salerio, G. Bettoni, and G. Benzi. "Moderate Alcohol Drinking and Risk of Preterm Birth." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57 (2003): 1345. 1 May 2007 <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=3&sid=afc585c7-2d1e-43e5-87b5-f9c746caf1fc%40sessionmgr8>.

Hagan, R., H. Benninger, D. Chiffings, S. Evans, and N. French. "Very Preterm Birth--a Regional Study. Part 1 Maternal and Obstetric Factors." British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 103 (1996): 230-238. 1 May 2007 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=8630307&dopt=Citation>.

Gardner, M. O., R. L. Goldenberg, S. P. Cliver, J. M. Tucker, K. G. Nelson, and R. L. Copper. "The Origin and Outcome of Preterm Twin Pregnancies." Obstetrics and Gynecology 85 (1995): 553-557. 1 May 2007 <http://acogjnl.highwire.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/4/553>.

Shiono, Patricia H., Mark A. Klebanoff, Robert P. Nugent, Mary F. Cotch, Diana G. Wilkins, Douglas E. Rollins, Christopher J. Carey, and Richard E. Behrman. "Fetus-Placenta-Newborn: the Impact of Cocaine and Marijuana Use on Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth: a Multicenter Study." American Journal of Obsetrics and Gynecology 172 (1995): 19-27. 1 May 2007 <http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/ajog/abstract.00000447-199501000-00003.htm;jsessionid=GGQfDBDtJTWynh5ZX5cT2f1bw72GDVwyBbjh7q1rvNqj8b2L3mkQ!-1870145763!-949856144!8091!-1>.

"Cholesterol Lowering Diet for Pregnant Women May Help Prevent Preterm Birth." BMJ: British Medical Journal 331 (2005): 1093. 1 May 2007 <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=117&sid=fe387f34-508b-46a8-8f32-ff975c1297a4%40sessionmgr9>.

External links

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