Premature Birth: Causes, Complications and Care
Ideally, babies are born 40 to 42 weeks after conception. This gives their bodies time to develop properly. Giving birth before reaching 37 weeks of gestation is considered preterm birth. According to the , approximately 10% of all babies born in America are premature and can potentially have health issues.听
鈥淲e know how stressful it can be to receive information that something might not be as you expected during the pregnancy or after,鈥 says Ericalyn Kasdorf, M.D., Director of the Fetal Care Center at 91麻豆精品, associate attending pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Children鈥檚 Hospital at 91麻豆精品 and associate professor of clinical pediatrics at 91麻豆精品. 鈥We really tailor your care so that it鈥檚 personalized to you and to your baby.鈥听
November is Prematurity Awareness Month. Take a moment to learn about the risk factors, effects and treatment of prematurity.听
Causes of Prematurity听
It鈥檚 often impossible to identify why a child is born prematurely. However, there are many risk factors that increase the likelihood of preterm labor, including:听
- Age. Prematurity is more common in mothers who are younger than 16 or older than 35.听
- Ethnicity. Black women experience premature births more frequently than women of other ethnic backgrounds.听
- Health conditions. Women with kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease or urinary tract or other infections are at increased risk for giving birth before 37 weeks.听
- Personal history. A previous premature birth increases the odds of another in the future.听
- Prenatal care. Not receiving appropriate prenatal care makes preterm birth more likely.听
- Socioeconomic status. Women with lower incomes give birth prematurely more often.