Psychology 210
November 12, 2013
Premature babies are babies born before 37 weeks. For some babies they are born closer to their due dates and suffer from little to no consequences of being born preterm. Preterm infants is another word for premature that is defined as any infant born before their due date. Where as the term small-for-date refers to babies that are born at the desired due date, but are below the expected weight for the length of time spent in the womb. About 500,00 babies are born prematurely in the United States alone. Many premature babies are forced to spend extended times in hospitals and suffer from health problems that can affect later life. Premature infants need more intensive and immediate care than full term infants to help recovery and survival. Certain activities or health problems put a women at greater risk for having a preterm infant. Some women have no signs that they are going to deliver preterm. Some of the risks of having a preterm infant include multiple births and in vitro fertilization. Mothers carrying more than one baby have a greater risk of having a their babies born premature or small-to-date. Also women that do not get proper prenatal care put themselves at greater risk to have a preterm infant. Unfortunantley, some women cant afford the prenatal care necessary for the developing fetus or are not educated about behavior needed for a healthy pregnancy. They may not visit their doctor to help monitor the developing fetus and they may not being eating right. Some mothers develop eating disorders because they feel their bodies are changing and they think they are fat or unattractive. These women put their unborn baby in danger because they deprive the infant of the necessary nutrients needed for proper growth and devlopement. Mothers that are overweight or underweight at conception also put their fetus at risk
Bibliography: Lee, Kimberly G. NY Times. Premature Infants, 2011. Web. 6 November. 2013. < http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/premature-infant/overview.html> March of Dimes. Your Premature Baby, 2013.Web. 6 November. 2013 MayoClinic. Premature Birth, 2011. Web. 6 November. 2013. < http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-birth/DS00137/DSECTION=treatments%2Dand%2Ddrugs> Sifferlin, Alexandra. Time Health and Family. Lasting Effects of Being Born Too Early, 2013. Web. 6 November. 2013.