Question

Discuss disparities related to ethnic and cultural groups relative to low birth weight infants and preterm births. Describe the impact of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and on the community (short-term and long-term, including economic considerations, on-going care considerations, and co-morbidities associated with prematurity). Identify at least one support service within your community for preterm infants and their family. Provide the link for your colleagues to view. Does the service adequately address needs of this population? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Preterm birth and low birth weight are consistently the primary causes of perinatal mortality. A preterm birth occurs before the 37 weeks of gestation (normal gestation period 40 weeks). Researchers have determined that treating infections during pregnancy may be one of the most effective ways to prevent such complbations and reduce infant morality. While if the weight at birth is less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) it is diagnosed as low birth weight. There might be different causes of low weight babies like; preterm babies as the baby gains lots of weight in the last weeks of its growth and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Thus all low birth weight may not be due to preterm birth.

According to World Health Organization, severe short- and long-term health consequences are encountered by the 30 million low-birth-weight babies born annually (23.8% of all births). The cost of caring low birth weight is estimated at over $26 billion annually nationwide and thus it contributes to the public health issue. As per The March of Dimes reports the prematurity/low birth weight is the second most expensive condition for inpatient hospital care and with an average hospital stay for the same of 26 days. Over the past 25 years, the infant mortality rate has fallen steadily for both blacks and whites.

The major costs to manage the low birth weight infants are distributed as initial life-sustaining measures like incubation and the re-hospitalization in the first year. The costs are higher than outpatient costs. The main cost components after the neonatal period are distributed for re-hospitalization, outpatient visits, pharmaceuticals, medical aids and nonmedical costs for education, nutrition, travelling, accommodation, child care as well as indirect costs (mainly parental time and/or wage losses).

It is the duty of the local or federal government to provide financial assistance to the families while they are taking care of the premature infants. The Highmark Foundation provided grants to Every Child Inc. and Butler Memorial Hospital are two nonprofit organizations in western Pennsylvania contributes to tackling the problem of low birth weight. The programs focused on clients most at risk that addresses low birth weight and work to improve infant and maternal health outcomes and supported by grants. They offer opportunities for the mothers and babies, that otherwise have had no access. The aim is to provide the opportunity to every to grow and develop into a healthy individual.

The survival rate of low birth weight babies is increasing with the advancement of medical science and improvement of social systems. The prevention of low birth weight is the best methods to improve the outcome and that can be achieved by proper prenatal care. Ensuring an adequate number of prenatal visits also aid in managing such problems. Provision of proper nutrition and medical care by the government and other organization helped in improving the survival rates.

References:

1. World Health Organization, 2014 Nutrition, Feto-maternal nutrition and low birth weight. Retrieved on November 25, 2014, from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/feto_maternal/en/

2. Reichman N. 2005. Low Birth Weight and School Readiness Retrieved on November 25, 2014,

Retrievedfrom;http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=38&articleid=118§ion id=774

3. Hodek J., Schulenburg J., Mittendorf T., 2011 Measuring economic consequences of preterm birth Methodological recommendations for the evaluation of personal burden on children and their caregivers Retrieved on November 26, 2014,

Retrieved from http://www.healtheconomicsreview.com/content/1/1/6