Question

Name and explain 2 birthing complications. What are the outcomes for children if they are born preterm or with a low birth weight?

Answer 1

1. Preterm labor: Preterm labor occurs when the mother go into labor before week 37 of your pregnancy. This is before the baby’s organs, such as the lungs and the brain, have finished developing.
Premature babies may have more health problems and may need to stay in the hospital longer than babies born later. They are also at risk for several illnesses in the long term such as apnea, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosis, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, jaundice, anemia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and several infections.
2. Low birth weight: Low birth weight refers a birth weight of a infant of 2,499 g or less, regardless of gestational age. It usually occurs due to poor nutrition or the use of cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs during pregnancy.
Babies born with low birth weight are at risk for respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosis, necrotizing enterocolitis and retinopathy of prematurity. They may be more likely than babies born at a normal weight to have certain health conditions later in life, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, obesity.