The birth of baby less than 37 weeks of gestational age is called a preterm birth. Premature infants are at a greater risk of short and long term complications. This post deals about the ways in which you can reduce preterm labor.
The preterm babies face numerous problems including low birth weight, difficulty in breathing, digestive complications, under developed organs and learning and developing disabilities. A new study has found that low birth weight babies are five times more likely to suffer from autism. Generally the causes for preterm labor include infection, bleeding or stretching of uterus; poor sleep quality in first and third trimester, pre-pregnancy obesity, and gestational weight gain.
How to avoid a preterm labor?
According to Dr. Manny Alvarez a daily dose of progesterone gel which is basically a hormone gel could reduce premature births. The number is reduced by half among women with high risk pregnancies.
Good nutrition is essential in preventing preterm labor. Pregnant women should manage conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. They should be relaxed, never smoke, drink or use recreational drugs. Over the counter medication should be used with caution. You should take proper care of your teeth. It would be wise to undergo afetal fibronectin test. If the result is positive, then there is an increased risk of preterm labor. If the result is negative then you can relax a bit.
HPV vaccination prevents the birth of extremely preterm babies. Generally pregnant women are advised to eat a well balanced diet. The most important dietary advice in pregnancy is to avoid food borne illnesses and toxins. Women should avoid uncooked beef, predatory fish which can lead to mercury poisoning, un-pasteurized milk and cheese, alcohol and it is good to reduce the amount of caffeine in your diet.
A theory which is called Kangaroo Mother Care is very significant in dealing with preterm babies. The skin to skin contact between the mother and child saves the little one’s life. The mother is encouraged to breast feed the baby as much as possible. Medical experts say that as soon as the baby is held close to its parents all the vital signs stabilize and the recovery is accelerated.
Take care,
Swarnam
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Swarnam