Many women give birth before the due date, and they give birth to premature babies who may suffer from several problems. Here is a set of risks for premature babies as follows:
What are the risks to premature babies?
Pregnant women who deliver their babies before the due date often experience fear and stress, as premature babies have great health risks. Here is a set of risks for premature babies and how to avoid them through the following article:
Risks to premature babies
Babies born before 37 weeks of gestation are called preterm babies, and there are many risks that can occur to their health as a result of premature birth.
A range of risks for premature babies include
1. Immature lung
Most babies born before 36 weeks have immature lungs, but the degree of lung maturity varies from baby to baby.
If the mother and health care provider know the baby is premature, an amniocentesis may be done to check the level of maturity in the lungs.
In some cases, steroid injections are given to the baby before birth in order to speed up the growth of the lungs. Immature lungs are associated with the following complications:
Respiratory distress syndrome
They are severe disorders that occur because there is no specific factor in the lungs that helps prevent them from collapsing.
Treatment for this condition includes supplemental oxygen supply to the lung through the use of a ventilator, continuous positive airway pressure, or tracheal intubation.
Transient tachypnea
One of the risks for premature babies is rapid breathing, which usually lasts three days or less, and is treated by intravenous feeding.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
It occurs when the child''s lungs appear deteriorating, and a ventilator can be placed to treat this condition.
2. Infection
A premature baby may not be able to resist some types of infections, so he is placed in an incubator to provide protection from diseases that he may be exposed to.
Care must also be taken on food that is free of germs and viruses that can cause infection, so it is preferable to monitor him, especially in the first months of his birth.
3. Jaundice
This is among the common risks for premature babies, where the baby’s skin is yellowish due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, thus causing a condition called jaundice.
Treatment involves placing it under a light and using what is called phototherapy. The procedure can take anywhere from a week to 10 days.
4. Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH)
Premature babies have an increased risk of bleeding in the brain because the blood vessels are immature, leading to complications in the future, such as: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or learning difficulties.
Intracranial hemorrhage occurs in about 1/3 of babies born between 24-26 weeks of gestation.
If the doctor knows when the premature birth is due, the mother can be given medications to help reduce the risk of severe intracranial hemorrhage in the baby.
5. Not maintaining body temperature
Premature babies are born with little body fat and immature skin, which makes it difficult to maintain body temperature and makes them more likely to hypothermia, which is dangerous for them.
If your premature baby suffers from a temperature difference, this condition can be treated by using an incubator that provides warmth.
6. An immature digestive system
It is well known that premature babies are born with a very immature digestive system that does not absorb nutrients effectively, which affects the baby''s health and exposes him to stomach and intestinal diseases.
In such kind of risk group for premature babies the baby receives first food via intravenous (IV) feeding for a few days.
7. Anemia
Premature babies have low concentrations of red blood cells that carry a substance called hemoglobin, which causes them to have severe anemia that may greatly affect the health of their circulatory system.
Treatment of anemia for a premature baby can include a transfusion of fresh red blood cells.
8. Patent ductus arteriosus
It is a condition in which the closure of the ductus arteriosus fails after childbirth, resulting in breathing difficulties due to the presence of an open blood vessel.
During fetal development, the ductus arteriosus is open to allow blood to be diverted from the lungs to the aorta, and then the fetus makes a chemical compound called prostaglandin E, which keeps the ductus arteriosus open.
By the ninth month, prostaglandin levels , which leads to the closure of the ductus arteriosus, thus allowing the baby''s lungs to receive the blood needed to function properly after birth.
In the case of a premature baby, prostaglandins may remain at the same level, causing patent ductus arteriosus. Treatment here includes taking a drug that stops or slows down the production of prostaglandins.
9. Inflammation of the intestine
Among the risks for premature babies is gastroenteritis, which results from poor blood flow that affects the intestinal wall, exposing the baby to significant damage to his intestines.
Treatment includes intravenous nutrition or antibiotics, but in severe cases, surgery is preferred.
10. Sepsis
This medical condition for premature babies occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream. The infection often travels to the lungs and can lead to pneumonia. This condition can be treated with antibiotics.
