If your pre-term labour is planned or unplanned or if your waters have broken prematurely, you may be offered steroid injections. Your midwife or doctor should discuss with you the symptoms of pre-term labour and offer checks to see if you're in labour. These checks can include asking you about your medical and pregnancy history, and about possible labour signs, such as:. You may be offered a vaginal examination, and your pulse, blood pressure and temperature may also be checked.
Your midwife or doctor will also check your baby. They'll probably feel your bump to find out the baby's position and how far into your pelvis the baby's head is. They should also ask about your baby's movements in the last 24 hours. If they do not ask, tell them about the baby's movements. Slowing down labour or stopping it is not appropriate in all circumstances — your midwife or doctor can discuss your situation with you.
They will consider:. You may be offered a course of steroid injections to help your baby's lungs get ready for breathing if they're born prematurely. Steroids may not be offered after 36 weeks as your baby's lungs are likely to be ready for breathing on their own.
If you're in premature labour and you're 24 to 29 weeks pregnant you should be offered magnesium sulphate. This can be true even though the mother may have done everything right during the pregnancy. Many women have no known risk factors for premature birth.
But several things can make premature birth more likely. In addition, women who develop any of the following problems during pregnancy are more likely to deliver early:.
Each baby may show slightly different symptoms. The following are the most common symptoms of a premature baby:. The symptoms of prematurity may look like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis. Prematurity is defined as:. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Premature babies are cared for by a neonatologist.
This is a doctor with special training to care for newborns. Other specialists may also care for babies, depending on their health problems. Premature babies are born before their bodies and organ systems have completely matured. Premature babies may also develop a lung disorder known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
In addition, some preterm babies may experience prolonged pauses in their breathing, known as apnea. Temperature control problems. Premature babies can lose body heat rapidly. They don't have the stored body fat of a full-term infant, and they can't generate enough heat to counteract what's lost through the surface of their bodies.
If body temperature dips too low, an abnormally low core body temperature hypothermia can result. Hypothermia in a premature baby can lead to breathing problems and low blood sugar levels.
In addition, a premature infant may use up all of the energy gained from feedings just to stay warm. That's why smaller premature infants require additional heat from a warmer or an incubator until they're larger and able to maintain body temperature without assistance.
Blood problems. Premature babies are at risk of blood problems such as anemia and newborn jaundice. Anemia is a common condition in which the body doesn't have enough red blood cells. While all newborns experience a slow drop in red blood cell count during the first months of life, the decrease may be greater in premature babies. Newborn jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a baby's skin and eyes that occurs because the baby's blood contains excess bilirubin, a yellow-colored substance, from the liver or red blood cells.
While there are many causes of jaundice, it is more common in preterm babies. Although the exact cause of preterm birth is often unknown, there are some things that can be done to help women — especially those who have an increased risk — to reduce their risk of preterm birth, including:.
Cervical cerclage. This is a surgical procedure performed during pregnancy in women with a short cervix, or a history of cervical shortening that resulted in a preterm birth. During this procedure, the cervix is stitched closed with strong sutures that may provide extra support to the uterus. The sutures are removed when it's time to deliver the baby. Ask your doctor if you need to avoid vigorous activity during the remainder of your pregnancy. Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced.
A baby's due date is calculated at 40 weeks after the first missed period, but "a mother is considered 'full term' at 37 weeks," explains Dr. Monica McHenry Svets, M. What accounts for the early arrivals? Tons of reasons: some of them related to the mother's health, some to the baby's, and some are factors that can't be controlled. And in some cases, babies come early for no apparent reason. The important thing, of course, is ensuring the safety of both mother and child.
Svets tells Romper. If you're expecting, the odds are that your child will be one of the many who arrive on or close to schedule, but these are some of the more common reasons why your baby might have an earlier birthday than anticipated.
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