Pregnancy care is vital so that your baby is not born premature

Any child born before the 37th week of gestation is already considered premature. But what is it that leads to a baby not being born full-term?

The growth of the cases indicates that the lifestyle of the mothers is a more important factor in the occurrence of premature birth. Stress, work overload, lack of rest, and psychological pressures can be decisive.

Around the world each year around 15 million children are born prematurely and sadly more than a million die before their fifth birthday. Since 2015 it was established that it is the leading cause of infant death in the world. And the survivors can suffer consequences but in general, they are completely healthy children if they are adequately controlled.

The degree of prematurity is determined according to the week in which the baby is born:

Moderate late: It is the premature baby with the highest probability of survival and of suffering from any type of pathology. It is considered within the logical period of birth if it is between weeks 32 and 37. The premature baby is left in an incubator to finish developing the airways properly.

Very premature: It is when the premature baby is born between weeks 28 and 32. It must necessarily spend some time in an incubator for its organs to finish maturing. They have many opportunities and could have some vision or hearing problems, but everything will depend on whether it is well controlled and their mother and how the delivery has been.

Extreme premature: This is the baby born before week 28, they are at great risk of life and may have deficiencies in their development. But there will always be possibilities and hope for them.

There are several causes that can lead to premature labor:

Urinary infections. It is very important to carry out pregnancy with the proper controls to detect and treat these infections. If it persists, it can cause uterine contractions leading to premature labor.

Twin or multiple pregnancies. Always in this case the probable date of delivery is located one month earlier than normal. The large distention of the uterus can also trigger labor, as well as premature rupture of the amniotic sac. There may come a time when the placenta does not have the capacity for both babies.

Stress and tiredness: The fact of creating a life is already a job in itself and is not recognized. And if family and work responsibilities, worries, and stress are added to this, the cocktail becomes explosive.

Rupture of the amniotic membranes: although it is not always easy to detect, an infection can occur due to the rupture of the bag, which causes the baby to be forced to be born prematurely so as not to develop an infection.

Pre-existing ailments: Diabetes, pelvic infections, heart and uterine problems, thyroid disorders, etc.

There are other less frequent reasons that can also cause premature labor or the need to provoke it: if a woman has severe pre-eclampsia, hypertension or any type of disease or placental abruption, it is necessary to intervene and deliver the child before time.

Some advice:

Avoid tobacco and alcohol completely. And of course, drugs. Smoking decreases the oxygen supply to the baby.

Get plenty of rest, sleep eight hours, and take short breaks throughout the day.

Practice pleasant activities that help reduce stress.

Eating very well, eating less but more times a day. Healthy foods such as vegetables and fresh fruits and take the vitamin supplements that doctors recommend.

Always ask for professional advice and look for available resources to help you