Preterm delivery is a terrible problem that plagues the United States, as well as many other countries worldwide. Preterm delivery of infants remains one of the most intractable problems that contributes to perinatal morbidity and mortality (Slattery & Morrison, 2002). This issue contributes to a large amount of cost towards the health industry. The definition of preterm delivery is, “…those [deliveries] that occur at less than 37 weeks’ gestational age; however, the low-gestational cutoff…varies by location.” (Goldenberg et al., 2008) It is also found that preterm deliveries can be attributed to the number one killer of newborns. This could be due to the vast number of issues that could occur from an underdeveloped infant, which could range
…show more content…
When comparing infants born at 22 weeks and 31 weeks, it is found that those born at 22 weeks only have less than 10% chance of survival, while those at 31 weeks have almost a 100% percent chance of survival (Slattery & Morrison, 2002). This information shows that the closer a preterm birth gets to full term, the more likely the child is to survive without defects. It also represents that the further away from full term you get, the more likely the child born is to have defects, due to not being able to develop properly. It is also interesting to note the relationship between preterm deliveries and the body mass index or BMI. Women who have lower BMI’s are more likely to have a spontaneous delivery than women with higher BMI’s (Goldenberg et all., 2008). It can be assumed that this is due to those with a lower BMI having a lesser blood supply to the uterus. And although women with a higher BMI are less likely to have spontaneous deliveries, they are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia or diabetes, which could lead to a physician induced preterm delivery, so it is not advised to become obese just to avoid spontaneous …show more content…
The use of neonatal intensive care units (NICU) plays a major role in this process and has proven over and over that it is indispensable in the care for ill newborns. (Apisarn) The NICU employs various tools to keep the caring staff updated with real time conditions. The most important of these tools may be the oxygen hood because premature babies often have respiratory distress syndrome and increased oxygen levels can mitigate the symptoms. The oxygen hood combined with a ventilator can function as a baby’s lung for an extended period of time and help prevent the leading cause of death for pre mature infant death. The supplementation fluids and nutrients though either a Nasogastric tube or an intravenous tube allows for the nutrition of a child which might not be capable of feeding on its own. On the other side of treatment knowing the conditions of the baby can prove instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner. Sophisticated instruments do this by measuring temperature, respiration, cardiac function, oxygenation, and brain activity. As mentioned above RDS is the number one cause of death in pre-term deliveries. (Liggins)(Garvey) RDS can result from any number of factors in the pregnancy and the mechanism is well understood. The traumatic event of birth causes the production of cortisol which stimulates the upregulation of surfactant
When comparing infants born at 22 weeks and 31 weeks, it is found that those born at 22 weeks only have less than 10% chance of survival, while those at 31 weeks have almost a 100% percent chance of survival (Slattery & Morrison, 2002). This information shows that the closer a preterm birth gets to full term, the more likely the child is to survive without defects. It also represents that the further away from full term you get, the more likely the child born is to have defects, due to not being able to develop properly. It is also interesting to note the relationship between preterm deliveries and the body mass index or BMI. Women who have lower BMI’s are more likely to have a spontaneous delivery than women with higher BMI’s (Goldenberg et all., 2008). It can be assumed that this is due to those with a lower BMI having a lesser blood supply to the uterus. And although women with a higher BMI are less likely to have spontaneous deliveries, they are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia or diabetes, which could lead to a physician induced preterm delivery, so it is not advised to become obese just to avoid spontaneous …show more content…
The use of neonatal intensive care units (NICU) plays a major role in this process and has proven over and over that it is indispensable in the care for ill newborns. (Apisarn) The NICU employs various tools to keep the caring staff updated with real time conditions. The most important of these tools may be the oxygen hood because premature babies often have respiratory distress syndrome and increased oxygen levels can mitigate the symptoms. The oxygen hood combined with a ventilator can function as a baby’s lung for an extended period of time and help prevent the leading cause of death for pre mature infant death. The supplementation fluids and nutrients though either a Nasogastric tube or an intravenous tube allows for the nutrition of a child which might not be capable of feeding on its own. On the other side of treatment knowing the conditions of the baby can prove instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner. Sophisticated instruments do this by measuring temperature, respiration, cardiac function, oxygenation, and brain activity. As mentioned above RDS is the number one cause of death in pre-term deliveries. (Liggins)(Garvey) RDS can result from any number of factors in the pregnancy and the mechanism is well understood. The traumatic event of birth causes the production of cortisol which stimulates the upregulation of surfactant