Understanding Premature birth and its causes
Motherhood is a beautiful experience. Imagine having a baby who weighs less than average, under observation and fighting for every breath. This feels like an ache to the heart, doesn’t it ?
Premature birth or preterm birth is when the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. This is very common and 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely. Pregnancy has a fixed schedule. From week 37 to 40, the organs of the baby are fully developed, can store essential body fat and gains strength. However in premature cases, certain things take a toll like —
- Immature lungs leading to breathing issues
- Feeding difficulties due to weak suck-swallow reflex
- Prone to infections
- vision and hearing issues
- Unstable temperature due to less body fat
- Neurological conditions
Premature birth often comes as a surprise. However there are a few causes that lead to it :
1.Maternal conditions
- High blood pressure
- gestational diabetes
- Infections like UTIs, and STIs
- Thyroid disorders
- Anemia
2.Lifestyle factors
- Smoking during pregnancy
- alcohol consumption during pregnancy
- underweight
- high levels of stress
3.Pregnancy related causes
- having more than 2 children
- short intervals between pregnancies
- previous premature birth
- trauma
Premature birth is unpredictable and often comes with other complications. However, taking care of the mother-to-be and the unborn child is essential !!