Your best friend just delivered her baby at 33 weeks. You want to be supportive and informed. You are reading about the causes of prematurity and the dangers associated with premature births. What does your reading most likely reveal about the causes of prematurity and the problems associated with it?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Nearly 13% of babies are born prematurely or before the 37 weeks gestational age. Prematurity should be taken seriously because it is the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity in the United States. Prematurity can be caused by a number of factors, including toxemia or high blood pressure, infections, abnormal structure of the uterus, inability of the cervix to stay closed during pregnancy, or drug use by the mother during pregnancy. Of great concern is the fact the that prematurity is associated with birth defects, a health condition, or a disability in a newborn child. For example, about 16% of babies born at 24-31 weeks gestation had a birth defect affecting their central nervous or cardiovascular system. Another problem is that premature babies can have breathing problems or problems regulating their body temperatures because they are likely to have less body fat compared to babies born at full-term.