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premature baby’ truth’s you should know now.
Everybody thinks having a premature baby is pretty much the same as having a normal brought-to-term baby “Well at least I did, I had no idea” Well nothing is further from the truth
I am a 45-year-old woman who got pregnant after thinking my partner of 70 was too old to get me pregnant I was sent to a high-risk clinic because I have high blood pressure and my case was high risk because of age and high blood pressure so to say my pregnancy was a difficult one is an understatement from conception to birth there was one thing after the next I was admitted to the maternity ward on three different occasions and for periods longer than two weeks at a time, it was never easy, at one point my blood platelets were so low I was afraid I would bleed to death at childbirth.
However, the event in question happened on a normal day I went to the clinic the Monday and my blood pressure was a little high so the nurse told me to wait and check it again now instead of going down it went up she said I should go to the hospital but because I knew that I had my appointment on the Thursday I came home took my pills and went to bed because I’m thinking I have an appointment on Thursday why go today I just wait till Thursday and make one thing Thursday came and I went to the clinic only to be sent directly to the maternity ward and was prepared for theatre Immediately and I did not even feel light-headed that day but unknown to me I almost died.
when I had my premature baby I had to do an emergency C-section I had no idea what this would mean for my life or my child, no one explained to me the consequences of having a C-section at this stage in my pregnancy I was at the time 31 and 1/2 weeks pregnant or that there could be consequences to my child other than an underdeveloped lung that’s what I was warned about and was I told I would be given an injection to help develop my baby’s lungs.
What to expect
First of all, my son was taken from me at birth and I was unable to walk for two days and was so stressed out, not knowing what would happen to my child at any given moment is the worst thing to happen to me, and to make matters worst my blood pressure was not stable as yet so I was heavily sedated and sleeping most of the day so when I was awake I would just be up long enough to pump my breast to send the milk to pediatrics ward for my son three days after my C-section is the first I’ll stand on my feet for more than three min and I decided i had to see my son and speak to his doctor remember I’ve been asleep for the most part of three days on a drip and very out of it but I decided I had to find out what was happening with him. (literally sending my pressure up with worry.)
Anyway, I went to the word to see him and was told that I had to come back at a later time in the day doctors were working at the time. Witch I did! And funny enough after speaking with his doctor my blood pressure was stable and the doctor was saying that I could go home the next day if it remained stable. Then came the news of leaving my son in the hospital and going home.
Note this C-section was done to save my life but Still, No one sat me down and said Miss Anderson as a result of your child being born early your child could develop or be born with eyesight problems, undeveloped lungs hearing problems, learning disability developmental disability, I mean how is it that no one had put that into perspective nobody explained to me what I would be going through or what I should expect because I had a premature child so I’m just trying to inform you of some of what’s to come.
LOOK FOR SIGNS IN YOUR PREEMIE
If you have a baby who was born early, you can look for signs that he or she might have trouble eating. If your baby has trouble sucking or swallowing, his or her tongue might flatten out and stick to the roof of his or her mouth. If your baby has trouble breathing, he or she may put his or her hands near his or her face.
Your child will be seeing a lot of specialists, you will have to get him/her to see an eye specialist, ear specialist, brain specialist and I even had to see a bone specialist at one point. I was clueless especially if you live in a small country like Jamaica where you live in Saint Ann and the specialists are in Kingston at the main children’s hospital and you have to travel back and forth to see your specialists every week or every 2 weeks and remember your child is young and vulnerable and all of this has happened to me amid covid19 so it was I’m telling you very troubling and traumatic.
But worth it! to know from early if there are any issues with your child to be dealt with or corrected from early can save your preemie’s life.
babies born prematurely often develop health issues that are a direct result of being underdeveloped at birth.
diseases that affect preemies
(AOP) Apnea of prematurity
Prematurity is a very common birth condition, affecting about one in every five babies. It can be a serious health condition and can lead to problems with breathing and sleep.
When a baby is premature, their airways are often still developing. This can make it harder for them to breathe and can lead to problems with sleep.
One common problem with premature babies is apnea. This is when a baby stops breathing for a short period of time, usually while they are sleeping.
AOP (Apnea of Prematurity) is a serious sleep disorder that affects premature babies more than other babies.
(BPD). Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, also known as BPD, is a rare lung disorder that is caused by a birth defect in the airway. The disorder often affects children, but can occur in adults as well. BPD is characterized by difficulty breathing and an inability to get enough air into the lungs.
BPD can be a serious condition and can lead to serious health problems if not treated. People with BPD often experience a decreased ability to exercise, a high risk of infection, and a high risk of death.
There is no known cure for BPD, but treatment can help improve the symptoms of the disorder. Treatment options include surgery, oxygen therapy, and medication.
Anyone who suspects they may have BPD should seek medical help. If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulty breathing.
(RDS) respiratory distress syndrome
RDS is a potentially deadly complication of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NDS). RDS is a condition in which the baby’s breathing becomes shallow and rapid. The baby may also have a high temperature and may be struggling to breathe.
If you notice any of these signs in your baby, call your doctor right away. If your baby has RDS, he or she will need intensive care and may die if not treated quickly.
There is no known cure for RDS, but treatment includes intensive care and ventilation. If your baby is treated quickly, he or she may make a full recovery.
If you or your baby has RDS, please call 911 immediately.
Infections or neonatal sepsis
Premature babies can get infections more easily than other babies because their immune systems aren’t fully developed. And Infection in premature babies can lead to sepsis, when the body when the body is unable to fight an infection. Sepsis can be life-threatening.
(IVH)Intraventricular hemorrhage
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious complication of pediatric stroke. IVH is bleeding within the brain caused by a rupture of an artery in the brain. Symptoms of IVH may include headache, vomiting, seizure, and coma. Treatment for IVH typically involves surgery to remove the blood clot and replace the damaged artery.
This is when your baby’s skin and the white parts of his eyes look yellow. It’s caused by the build-up of a substance called bilirubin in your baby’s blood. Jaundice happens when a baby’s liver isn’t fully developed or isn’t working well.
(NEC) Necrotizing enterocolitis
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening condition that can develop in any baby, including premature babies and those with genetic disorders. It’s caused by a type of bacteria that attacks the intestines and can spread to other parts of the body.
If you have a premature baby, your healthcare team will do everything they can to protect them from NEC. They may keep your baby on a strict feeding schedule and monitor them for signs of the condition. If your baby develops NEC, your healthcare team will treat them with antibiotics as soon as possible.
If you have a child with a genetic disorder, your healthcare team will watch them more closely for signs of NEC. If you or your child develop NEC, your health care team will treat you and your child with antibiotics.
(ROP) Retinopathy of prematurity
ROP Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a condition that can develop in premature babies, most often in those born before 28 weeks’ gestation. ROP is caused by the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina, a layer of the eye. The vessels can become enlarged and can leak blood and fluid. This can lead to vision loss and serious complications in premature babies.
There is no cure for ROP, but treatment can help prevent further vision loss. Treatment usually begins with a procedure called retinal vein occlusion (RVO), which is when a doctor blocks the blood flow to the enlarged vessels in the retina. RVO is usually done using a catheter inserted through the eye and into the blood vessels in the eye. If the baby is very premature, severe stages of this disease can lead to blindness.
(PDA) Patent ductus arteriosus
The ductus arteriosus helps blood flow freely around a baby’s lungs before birth. Once a baby’s born and her lungs fill with air, the ductus arteriosus isn’t needed anymore and usually closes on its own a few days after birth. If it doesn’t close properly, too much blood may flow into the lungs. This could cause serious heart and breathing problems later.
Premature birth can lead to a host of health problems for the baby. Premature babies are more likely to get an infection while in the womb which can be pretty traumatic. They’re also more likely to have respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal disorders. It’s important that parents know these risks and do everything they can to avoid them.
when can a baby survive outside of the womb?
A premature baby can survive outside of the womb, delivered. The age when a baby can survive outside of a womb varies, but they are generally considered viable if they’re born after 24 weeks of gestational age.
Fetuses can sometimes be delivered prematurely via cesarean section before 24 weeks and still survive, but it is a rare occurrence, premature babies born before they reach 24 weeks are not considered “viable” once they’re born after 24 weeks of gestational age their lungs and other organs are not yet fully developed yet the survival rate increases significantly.
