Many women give birth before the due date, and give birth to premature babies who may suffer from several problems. Here is a group of risks that affect premature babies as follows:
Pregnant women who give birth to their babies before the due date often experience fear and stress, as premature babies have significant health risks. Here is a group of risks that affect premature babies and how to avoid them in the following article:
Risks to premature babies
Babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy are called premature babies, and there are many risks that can occur to their health as a result of premature birth.
A group of risks for premature babies includes the following
1. Immature lung
Most babies born before 36 weeks have immature lungs, but the degree of lung maturity varies from one baby to another.
If the mother and health care provider know that the baby is preterm, an amniocentesis may be performed to check the maturity level of the lungs.
In some cases, steroid injections are given to the baby before birth in order to accelerate lung development. Immature lungs are associated with the following complications:
Respiratory distress syndrome
These 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 providing the lungs with supplemental oxygen through the use of a ventilator, continuous positive airway pressure, or endotracheal intubation.
Transient tachypnea
Rapid breathing of the baby can be one of the risks of premature babies. It usually takes three days or less and is treated by intravenous feeding.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
It occurs when a child''s lungs appear deteriorated, and a ventilator may 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 to which he may be exposed.
Care must also be taken to ensure that the food is free of germs and viruses that could cause infection, so it is preferable to monitor it, especially in the first months of its birth.
3. Jaundice
This is among the common risks that affect premature babies, as the baby’s skin turns yellow due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, thus causing a disease called jaundice.
Treatment includes placing it under a light and using so-called phototherapy, where the procedure can take 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, which leads to complications in the future, such as: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or learning difficulties.
Intracranial hemorrhage occurs in about 1/3 of babies born at 24-26 weeks of pregnancy.
If the doctor knows the timing of premature birth, the mother can be given medications to help reduce the risk of severe intracranial bleeding in the baby.
5. Failure to maintain 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 vulnerable 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. Immature digestive system
It is 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 this type of risk group for premature babies, the baby receives first nutrition through intravenous nutrition (IV) for a few days.
7. Anemia
Premature babies have low concentrations of red blood cells that carry a substance called hemoglobin, causing them to have severe anemia that may significantly affect the health of their circulatory system.
Treatment of anemia for a premature baby can include transfusion of new red blood cells.
8. Occurrence of patent ductus arteriosus
It is a condition in which the closure of the ductus arteriosus is disrupted after birth, 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. The fetus then makes a chemical compound called prostaglandin E, which keeps the ductus arteriosus open.
By the ninth month, prostaglandin levels decrease, which leads to the closure of the ductus arteriosus, thus allowing the child’s lungs to receive the blood necessary to function properly after his birth.
In the case of a premature baby, prostaglandins may remain at the same level, causing an open ductus arteriosus. Treatment here includes taking a medication that stops or slows the production of prostaglandins.
9. Inflammation of the intestine
Among the risks that affect premature babies is enteritis, which results from poor blood flow that affects the intestinal wall, exposing the child to major damage to his intestines.
Treatment includes intravenous nutrition or antibiotics, but in severe cases, surgery is preferred.
10. Sepsis infection
This medical condition occurs in premature babies when bacteria enter the bloodstream. The sepsis often spreads to the lungs and can lead to pneumonia. This condition can be treated with antibiotics.
