Effect of a Premature Baby Have you ever seen incredibly small babies? As we already know, babies are super tiny and cute, but did you know that they can be too small? The World Health Organization defines prematurity as babies born before 37 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. (Willacy) Recent data indicates that more than 1 in 10 babies born worldwide in 2010 were premature, resulting in approximately 15 million premature births. (Willacy) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay “In 2013, approximately one-third (36%) of infant deaths were due to preterm-related causes.” (CDC 1) Premature, preterm or preterm means a baby born before the 37th week in the third trimester of pregnancy. What causes preterm labor? There are many unknown causes as well as many known causes such as drug use by the mother, stress induced labor, sometimes the body allows it too early and sometimes a doctor may ask that a mother be induced to have babies early your children before the age of 37. weeks due to medical complications, but only if the doctor feels it is best for the baby and the mother. The earlier a baby is born, the less likely it is to survive. Drugs, smoking and alcohol play a vital role in the birth of a preterm baby due to low birth weight, failure to develop and the inability to breathe on their own. Many premature babies due to drug use become addicted and even our born with it in their systems, many of them will not get to see the outside of a NICU. If you have already had a preterm baby or stopped labor, you are not at risk. You run the risk of going into labor before 37 weeks. You and your baby will be monitored closely and, known as high risk, may also be placed on bed rest. Mothers who are having two or more babies automatically become at high risk. “In the United States, 3% of all births are multiples, but nearly 20% of premature babies are multiples.” (Gunther 23) As each child multiplies, the risk of premature birth increases and problems appear earlier in the pregnancy. Although premature babies can survive and have an even higher survival rate if they are late preemies, it is not highly recommended because preterm labor is a major cause of long-term effects such as infant death, physical and mental. disability. One of the most common risk factors for premature infants is infant death. The first thing a doctor or midwife needs to consider is the survival rate of the baby born too early. The survival rate is considered first because a baby who is born too early is contrasted with one who remains protected inside the mother's womb until growth and development is complete, as it has a negative effect on almost all organ systems of the child. The baby's birth weight will decrease dramatically as will his growth. The earlier the gestational age, which is the age calculated from the last menstruation or from an ultrasound at 8 to 13 weeks, the lower the premature baby's chances of survival. According to table 1 of the Preemie Primer “at 22 weeks there is less than 20% chance of survival and very few of these babies make it, at 23 weeks, only 8 -33%, 24 weeks, 26-60%, 26 weeks, 85% and 27 – 36 weeks, the survival rate increases to over 90% chance that the preemie will survive. (Gunter 7). Preemies who survive are still likely to develop more slowly than a baby who doesborn after thirty-seven weeks. Preemies, depending on their condition after birth, remain in the hospital in the nursery's intensive care unit (NICU) so they can be monitored on their growth and development. They are often not allowed to leave the NICU unless they are at least 4-5 years old. kilos and have reached the length necessary to travel safely in the car seat. They are also eliminated after a doctor deems their condition stable enough. Preterm babies are still at risk of long-term problems such as physical and mental disabilities throughout their lives. Lack of growth and development puts a strain on the lungs, brain and other functioning organs. In addition to mental development and motor skills, they often learn more slowly than children who were allowed to reach full term. Preemies who survive are still at risk for many permanent physical disabilities. Moms may also be at risk of giving birth to a premature baby in their next pregnancy since she has already had a preterm one. The mother becomes more at risk of early labor. It is common for preemies to develop long-term disabilities over time. They can develop lung problems which lead to conditions like asthma, BDP which is bronchopulmonary dysplasia which is some chronic lung diseases which cause inflammation of the lungs. Their immune system makes them more vulnerable to RSVP, the common flu, and even other colds and flus. Preemies may have digestive problems such as necrotizing enterocolitis that can cause blockage and loss of nutrients. A preemie is more likely to also develop vision problems, a common problem known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)" Approximately 14,000 to 16,000 babies in the United States have ROP. Most babies with ROP have a mild form and does not require treatment.But children with severe ROP may have vision problems or blindness, 400 out of 600 children have ROP (National Institutes of Health). Children's teeth are most commonly those that suffer, develop slowly, grow crooked, and also exhibit discoloration. Physical disabilities are not only a factor, but preemies are also prone to long-term mental disabilities. Premature brains are more likely be affected than a baby born at or after term. Babies born prematurely are at greater risk of developing neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy that affects the spinal cord, brain and nervous system. “Cerebral palsy was present in 14% of survivors in this group. There is evidence that the incidence of cerebral palsy is decreasing in premature babies born between 28 and 31 weeks." (WHO) Autism is also very likely in premature birth. In fact, “IQ scores are almost 1 SD (15 points) lower than those of the population, more than half of these children require special assistance at school and almost 20% repeat a grade in school by age 8”. (Peterson 1) A premature baby is known to develop behavioral problems such as ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADD, attention deficit disorder, anxiety, and depression. “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is one of the most common mental disorders in children, affecting 3-10% of school-age children (between 2 and 5.4 million children aged 4 and 17 years). (O'Brien 1) Severe prematurity, born between 23 and 28 weeks, has been found to put a baby at greater risk of later developing ADHD, but so does mild prematurity, born between 37 and 38 weeks , resulted in a.