November is Prematurity Awareness Month.
 Prematurity is the leading cause of death in the first month of life and a major cause of infant illness and disability. Between 1993 and 2003, the rate of preterm births increased nearly 18 percent in Wisconsin.
Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered premature. Premature babies usually need care in a special nursery called the neonatal intensive care unit. Babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy are very preterm. In nearly half of all cases, doctors do not know why a woman delivers prematurely. However, the most commonly identified risk factors include a history of preterm birth, multiple fetuses (such as twins or triplets) and uterine and/or cervical abnormalities. Other risk factors include certain types of infection, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, late or no prenatal care, smoking and use of alcohol or street drugs.
What parents can do:
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Take care of yourself and your baby:
- Get regular prenatal checkups, starting as soon as you know you are pregnant.
- Don't use alcohol, street drugs or cigarettes.
- Try to avoid stress.
- If you feel burning or pain when you go to the bathroom, you may have an infection. Call your health provider right away.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Women who are very overweight or underweight have increased risk of preterm labor.
- Learn the signs of preterm labor.
Call your health care provider right away if you have any of these warning signs:
- Contractions that make your belly tighten up like a fist every 10 minutes or more often.
- Change in the color of your vaginal discharge, or bleeding from your vagina.
- The feeling that your baby is pushing down.
- Low, dull backache.
- Cramps that feel like your period.
- Belly cramps with or without diarrhea.
- Know what to do.
Call your health care provider or go to a hospital right away if you think you are having preterm labor.
Resources for parents:
Medical treatment: Preterm labor sometimes can be stopped. If you are having signs of preterm labor, seek medical attention immediately. The Froedtert & the Medical College Birth Center can help. If labor cannot be stopped, premature babies can get the highest level of care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
For more information, visit www.marchofdimes.com/wisconsin. |
