'Too little known' on early birth

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20342108


Fifteen million babies are born prematurely each year

Experts warn more research is needed to find out how to reduce the number of babies born early.

Prematurity is the second most common cause of death for children aged five.

An analysis of 39 developed countries, suggests numbers could be cut by measures such as stopping multiple IVF pregnancies - but only by 5%.

But experts writing in the Lancet say the reasons for many early births remain unknown and much more research is needed.

[IdaBriggs]

1. We have a ton of trouble getting researchers

To pay attention to what we are doing. The frustrating part is that we know more about the nutritional needs of pre-term SWINE (and how to ensure they grow healthy) than humans.

www.preemiegrowthproject.org

[lalalu]

2. We only have incubators because of freak shows at carnivals.

I tease my sister and son about that. Preemies were originally treated like oddities and freaks. The man who invented the incubator was ignored. He had to showcase incubators as part of the freak show at the World's Fair to get attention. I believe it was France that first started using incubators. They were then used experimentally at large hospitals in the northeast.

Things have also changed dramatically. My sister was the only one of us to be born prematurely and weighed barely 2 pounds. She was born in the fifties, spent months in the hospital, and saw a lot of doctors. Yet they accepted my father's insurance and never charged them a dime extra. Thanks to great care and parents she grew up healthy.

My son was a preemie but broke the weight record for a seven month old baby. Fortunately he was and is still quite healthy. It is still a mystery as to what happens. Was it related to the MS or something hormonal? I was really careful, took my vitamins, ate healthy, did light exercise, kept all appointments, and still had to go on complete bed rest for a while.

I am fortunate to have been able to have good health care and able to take a leave from work early. If not I would have lost him. So maybe more children are being born due to improved care who in the past would not?

[IdaBriggs]

4. One of the interesting stats is that while MORTALITY rates for

pre-term babies have actually improved (we now have children in the 24/25 week range surviving), the MORBIDITY rates have gone through the roof. (Obviously, in our project we think we know why.)

We know the risk factors - mother's age, nutritional status, financial status (access to prenatal care/good nutrition), drug/alcohol/tobacco use, etc. but despite this, the mortality numbers have remained pretty static over the decade. And comparison data varies - Detroit, MI rates are in the upper teens, but the same population in Atlanta, GA is 3%.

I have been speaking with one researcher who is going to do a comparison for me on "death clusters" based on access to grocery stores; this thread reminds me I need to follow up with that....

[lalalu]

5. This is interesting.

So it seems the issue is the type of care these babies receive after birth. I know my access to great health care was important. I was also really into nutrition.

One interesting note was my mother came over and showed me how to bathe a preemie. She told me I should spend more time rubbing the limbs gently in a caressing motion. It helps to stimulate their growth and development.

The amazing thing is that a few weeks later an article came out in which scientists found the same things. They had studied preemies over time and found when given additional massages and contact they developed better. Mom was right

[IdaBriggs]

7. Moms are miracles. Mine smacked me upside the head with the

wand of reality with my preemies. I am a computer person by trade, so when the doctor said "30 mls of formula, every three hours" by heavens, it was 30 mls - not 28, not 29, not 31, and definitely not 32! Anyway, I couldn't get them to latch, so I did the "pump" thing for two months, which meant pump for twins 20-45 minutes, wake up sleeping babies, feed/care for grouchy babies, get babies back to sleep, spend 20 minutes eating/sleeping/showering, then repeat.

For two months, at which point I threatened to kill my husband "IN YOUR SLEEP!!!" because he LET THE DOGS WAKE UP THE BABIES ---

And the sad thing is, I was so sleep deprived/exhausted, I was *convinced* I would just explain it to a jury, and they would not only understand, but APPLAUD me - LOL!!!

Anyway, my beloved husband gently suggested it was time my mother came over so I could take a nap, I started crying, my mom came over, and I had two HOURS of uninterrupted sleep, during which Grandma/My Mom gave the babies *ALL THEY WANTED TO EAT* which completely freaked me out, because my daughter drank like 55 mls, and my son 65 mls, and the doctor had warned me against going higher than whatever the rate was at the time (I don't remember it now, but you get the idea). And I freaked out because I knew if you didn't do what the doctor said, Something Bad would happen....

At which point my mother sat down next to me, and very gently explained that I was the Mom, and it was time I started trusting myself, because the babies were hungry, and the doctor wasn't the one listening to them cry.

It was awesome. I love my Mom. She was right, and that set up the whole chain of events that became the Preemie Growth Project.

Oh, and I apologized to my husband; apparently it had hurt his feelings when I threatened to kill him. Granted, he wasn't home, it was done over the phone, but he told me later my voice had gotten Very Scary....

[lalalu]

8. LMAO

Moms are great and I was so glad mine was there for us.

[Odin2005]

3. I was born 2 months early back in 1986.

I was born only 2 days after Chernobyl and my mom insists that has something to do with it, and no reasoning with her will persuade her otherwise, despite the fact that she smoked while she was pregnant with me.

[lalalu]

6. LOL,