Friday, November 17, is World Prematurity Day, an important day to raise awareness to the challenges of preterm birth. Amanda St. Aubin, CNM, a certified nurse midwife with Avera Health, joined Dakota News Now to provide insight and calm fears regarding NICU admissions and prematurity risks.
What are some of the challenges that can arise if baby comes early?
The uterus is the best place for the baby to grow and develop. And when they come early, it kind of interrupts that development. So we can see problems with the heart, the brain, the lung development. We also see increases in jaundice and temperature control issues, as well as some digestive problems and immune system issues.
Every mom and baby is unique, but what are some of the risk factors that providers look for?
What we usually look for are risks related to the current pregnancy. For example, have they had any previous miscarriages prior to this pregnancy? Is the pregnancy a multiple pregnancy like twins or triplets? And also whether or not the woman used any treatments for fertility such as Clomid or Letrozole or IVF. There are also some health issues that can increase risk for pre-term deliveries, and that's things like previous health issues like high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes. We also see higher rates of preterm deliveries with previous injuries or trauma to the body, as well as previous issues with the uterus, the cervix or placentas in prior pregnancies. Women also don't realize that some of the lifestyle choices can increase risk for premature delivery, such as chronic stress conditions in either the home or at work, or even chronic stress related to untreated mental health. Women who are underweight or obese have higher rates of preterm delivery as well as smoking, alcohol use or drug use during the pregnancy. We also see some increased rates of preterm delivery in women who are less than 17 and older than 35 when they get pregnant.
What can moms and providers do to help limit the risk of an early birth?
We recommend establishing a relationship with their obstetric provider early, usually starting prenatal care around eight weeks and then continuing prenatal care so that we can ensure that the baby is progressing well. The pregnant person is on the right track and no abnormal health issues are arising. We can also work on improving your health prior to pregnancy in order to ensure a healthy and pregnancy that decreases risk for preterm delivery as well.
If baby does come early, what are some things Avera does to help mom and baby thrive?
Well, it can be scary if you do experience preterm delivery, but just know that Avera has experts that are trained in these types of situations and being aware of ways to reduce your risk is also important. And reminding parents to have conversations that gain knowledge ahead of time so that they're prepared if the possibility of a preterm delivery does arise.
