Thoughts on pre-term birth from a preemie who made it (Part I)

To look at my picture at left, you would never think I was born pre-term and weighed in at a meager four (4) pounds -- but it's true. When I was born on Thursday, October 24, 1963, I entered this world, not only pre-term, but I had the early signs of Hydrocephalus . . . a condition which was almost always fatal. More about me later . . .promise!

What is pre-term birth?

In humans, the usual definition of pre-term birth is a birth that occurs prior to 37 weeks gestation. In the case of a "premature" infant, that is one that has not yet reached the level of fetal development that would generally allow life outside the womb. In a normal human fetus, several organ systems mature between the 34th and 37th weeks, and the fetus reaches adequate maturity by the end of the 37th week. One of the main organs that is most affected by pre-term birth is the lungs which are one of the last organs to develop inside the womb. Because of this, pre-term babies typically spend their first days / weeks on a ventilator.

It's estimated that in a single 24-hour period, more than 1,400 babies in the United States will be born prematurely. Many of these will be too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they will face weeks (or possibly months) in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Although these babies face a higher risk of serious medical complication and, possibly, death, most will eventually make it home.

Who is at risk?

Pre-term labor and delivery can affect any pregnant woman, however, it happens more often to some women than others. Researchers continue to study pre-term labor and birth, but still can't predict which women will give birth too early. So far three (3) groups have been determined to be at greatest risk:

1. Women who have had a previous pre-term birth.

2. Women who are pregnant with twins, triplets, or more.

3. Women who have certain uterine or cervical abnormalities.

In addition, some studies have also found that certain lifestyle factors may place a woman at higher risk of pre-term labor. These include:

1. Late or no pre-natal care.
2. Smoking
3. Consumption of alcohol.
4. Use of illegal or "recreational" drugs
5. Exposure to the medication DES.
6. Domestic violence including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
7. Lack of social support
8. Extremely high stress levels
9. Long working hours with long periods of standing.
10. Exposure to certain environmental pollutants.


There is much more information that I want to present, however, doing so in a single blog would make it a pain to read. For that reason, tomorrow, I will post the second part of "Thoughts on pre-term birth from a preemie who made it."


Until next time . . .