Premature+Infant

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Definition:
Premature Birth-- In humans **preterm birth** ( [|Latin] : //partus praetemporaneus// or //partus praematurus//) refers to the [|birth] of a [|baby] of less than 37 weeks [|gestational age]. The cause for preterm birth is in many situations elusive and unknown; many factors appear to be associated with the development of preterm birth, making the reduction of preterm birth a challenging proposition. **Premature birth**, commonly used as a synonym for preterm birth, refers to the birth of a baby before the developing organs are mature enough to allow normal postnatal survival. Premature infants are at greater risk for short and long term complications, including disabilities and impediments in growth and mental development. Significant progress has been made in the care of premature infants, but not in reducing the [|prevalence] of preterm birth. Preterm birth is a major cause of [|neonatal mortality] in developed countries. pg 85

Examples:
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Analogies:
Imagine this. You are sitting in your nice lounge room in your most comfortable chair. The fire is blazing away, you are warm and comfortable. Your belly is full, your eyes droop in contentment; you have no cares in the world. You have some sense that there is something going on outside your house, but you are not worried about the outside world. Sometime you will have to go outside, but you are not ready to. The time will come eventually that you will have to go outside, but right now you don't have to worry about anything except being comfortable. 

Suddenly, and without warning the roof is blown off your house by a storm and you are tossed into the air. The roar of the wind thunders in your ears, the lightning dazzles your eyes and your skin is chilled by the rain. You are frightened by the sensory overload, and as this looks like a huge storm, this sensory overload is going to last for a long time. "I'm not ready!" you scream. "I don't want to be out here! I'm not ready to be out here! How can I be comfortable with all this chaos surrounding me?!"

This analogy gives an insight into how a premature baby would feel after being born too early. They are warm and comfortable in the womb, with constant access to food, and while they may hear the world outside the womb, it is soft, muffled and comforting to the baby. They are growing and developing, yet are not ready to enter the world. Suddenly, they are forced through the traumatic experience of birth, are welcomed into the world by their mothers screams of pain, and are rushed off into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where they are surrounded by bright lights, loud sounds, and a sea of strange faces for many weeks.

[|The role of womb rooms in helping premature babies]

Preterm Labor Causes:

 * ** DISEASE **:
 * D **ehydration
 * I **nfection
 * S **ex
 * E **xercise (strenuous)
 * A **ctivities
 * S **tress
 * E **nvironmental factor (job, etc) ||
 * E **nvironmental factor (job, etc) ||

In the News:
[|Patterns: Risks for Preemies Resurface Years Later] [|Hormone Is Said to Cut Risk of Premature Birth]