Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU

Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU

Extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW) face a heightened risk of frequent hospitalizations and medical as well as neurodevelopmental complications compared to infants born with a normal birth weight. ELBW infants are significantly more susceptible to conditions such as visual and hearing impairments, speech delays, attention disorders, poor feeding, growth challenges, respiratory complications, and neurocognitive difficulties. Families of ELBW infants encounter a multitude of medical and developmental demands that surpass those associated with a healthy full-term baby. This entails an elevated level of care, encompassing medical appointments, therapies, and communication between pediatricians and other healthcare providers.

Studies have demonstrated that preterm births and extended hospitalizations can have adverse financial effects on families. During their infant’s hospitalization, families may have to take time off work, accrue increased debt, experience financial concerns, reside in unsafe home environments, and encounter social isolation. The high level of care and vigilance required to meet the infant’s needs negatively impacts the family’s overall quality of life and the family unit as a whole (Laksmanan et al., 2017).

Ethnic and cultural disparities play a role in contributing to the occurrence of extremely low birth weight infants. Chronic stress is more prevalent in the daily lives of minority populations compared to other groups, and this contributes to the disparities observed. Additional factors include the impact of economic downturns, rising rates of opioid use and addiction, varying access to prenatal care, differences in smoking rates, and other biopsychosocial stressors. Structural factors, such as state health policies, can also influence racial disparities in birth outcomes (Goldfarb et al., 2018).

Antibiotic Resistance Global Healthcare Comparison Matrix and Narrative Statement Assignment

In Florida, several support services are available to assist preterm infants and their families. The Healthy Start Program, initiated in 1991, is one of the most comprehensive maternal and infant healthcare programs. Its primary objectives are to reduce infant mortality, decrease the number of low birth weight infants, and enhance health and developmental outcomes. Key components of the program include identifying pregnant women and infants at risk for adverse birth, health, and developmental outcomes. Services offered encompass outreach, care coordination, childbirth education, parenting education and support, nutrition counseling, tobacco education and cessation, breastfeeding education and support, and interconceptional education and counseling. The overarching goal of the Healthy Start initiative is to ensure that all pregnant women and young children have access to prenatal and child health care services necessary to reduce the risk of poor outcomes. Women and parents of children from birth to 3 years who believe they require these services can also apply (Floridahealth.gov, 2021).

References:

Goldfarb, S. S., Houser, K., Wells, B. A., Brown-Speights, J. S., Beitsch, L. & Rust, G. (2018). Pockets of progress amidst persistent racial disparities in low birth weight rates. PLoS ONE 13(7): e0201658. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201658](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201658

Lakshmanan, A., Agni, M., Leiu, T., Fleegler, E., Kipke, M., Friedlich, P. S., McCormick, M. C. & Belfort, M. B. (2017). The impact of preterm birth <37 weeks on parents and families: a cross-sectional study in the 2 years after discharge from neonatal intensive care unit. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 15(38). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0602-3](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0602-3

Floridahealth.gov. (2021). The Healthy Start Program. Retrieved from https://www.floridahealth.gov

Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU sample 2

Recent studies indicate that one out of every ten babies born in the United States is born prematurely, before 37 weeks of gestation. Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. However, the percentage of premature births varies significantly among different cultural, ethnic, and racial groups. Babies born prematurely are at risk for a range of medical issues, as they have not had sufficient time to mature in the womb. They often struggle with essential tasks such as breathing independently, maintaining body temperature, developing muscle tone, and exhibiting reflexes for sucking and swallowing. While some premature babies may require a brief stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to receive nutrition and grow, others face more extended stays and complications. The risk of long-term issues increases with the gestational age at birth.

The primary cause of infant mortality is premature birth. Advances in neonatal care have increased the chances of survival for even the smallest babies. Nevertheless, premature birth comes with both short- and long-term consequences. Premature infants are at higher risk for various health problems, including difficulties in breathing, eating, jaundice, and neurological challenges, just to name a few. These infants may require extended NICU stays, particularly those born at earlier gestational ages, as they are more likely to need life support.

Premature babies also face an increased risk of mortality or readmission to the hospital after discharge. Respiratory distress and underdeveloped brains are among the severe complications associated with preterm birth. Premature infants may experience breathing difficulties and may require ventilators to assist them. These breathing problems can persist into their first year of life, and they may be more susceptible to developing asthma.

The brain is one of the last body systems to fully develop in infants. Brain growth continues even after birth. When a baby is born prematurely, there is a higher risk of brain damage due to bleeding or other stressors. The brain is only about two-thirds of its full-term weight at 35 weeks of gestation, and this critical brain development can be disrupted if the child is born a few weeks early, outside the womb.

Premature infants are at an elevated risk of developmental delays, health problems, and even mortality later in life. Late preterm infants, born between 34 and 36 weeks, often experience long-term complications such as behavioral and social interaction issues, learning difficulties, an increased likelihood of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). These children may require early intervention and special education services.

Additionally, babies born prematurely have a greater susceptibility to developing cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes in adulthood. Preterm birth results from a complex interplay of multiple risk factors, including environmental, socioeconomic, societal, medical, and biological factors. These factors often cluster together, particularly among disadvantaged populations and racial and ethnic minorities.

Community-based interventions play a vital role in addressing these issues. These interventions can promote healthier practices and care-seeking behaviors in communities and families, involve local community members in collaboration with healthcare professionals, and engage the public in service provision, diagnosis, treatment, and referral. Community health workers, traditional birth attendants, health campaigns, school-based health promotion, home-based care, and community franchise-operated clinics are examples of interventions that fall under this umbrella. Low-resource communities require access to a wide range of

care services, and community-based services are essential in achieving better outcomes for women’s health, infant health, and child development. Infants born to mothers who are malnourished, ill, or inadequately cared for are at a heightened risk of preventable illnesses and mortality. Furthermore, when a mother dies during childbirth, the likelihood of her child surviving diminishes significantly, especially in low- and middle-income countries (California Department of Public Health, n.d.; American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016; Ronsmans et al., 2010).

California Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Maternal and infant environmental exposure project (MIEEP). Retrieved from https://biomonitoring.ca.gov/projects/maternal-and-infant-environmental-exposure-project-mieep

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: Updated 2016 recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. Pediatrics, 138(5), 1-12. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-2938

Ronsmans C, Chowdhury M E, Dasgupta S K, Ahmed A, Koblinsky M. 2010. “Effect of Parent’s Death on Child Survival in Rural Bangladesh: A Cohort Study.” The Lancet 375 (9730): 2024–31 Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU.