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 babies (ELBW) are at risk for numerous hospital visits, medical and neuro-developmental complications, when compared to normal birth weight babies. ELBW babies faced a much greater risk for visual, hearing impairment, speech delays, attention disorders, poor feeding and growth, respiratory complications and neurocognitive difficulties. Families are faced with numerous medical and developmental needs that are way beyond what a healthy full term baby is required. High levels of care are required where parents must take the child for medical appointments, therapies, and communication between the pediatrician and other healthcare providers. Studies have shown, that preterm births and hospitalization have an adverse effect on the families finances. Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU During the time the baby is hospitalized, families are associated with having to take time off from work, having increased debt, financial worries, unsafe home environment and social isolation. The intensity of care and high vigilance that is required to meet the needs of the baby, have an adverse effect on the family’s’ quality of life and within the overall family unit (Laksmanan et al, 2017).
There are several disparities among the ethnic and cultural groups which is a contributory factor to extremely low birth weight babies. Chronic stress has shown to be higher in daily lived experiences within the minority population when compared among other groups. Other factors are the impact of the economic downturn, increasing rates of opioid use and addiction, variable access to prenatal care, variation in smoking rates and other bio-psychosocial stressors. Structural factors such as, state health policies, can also impact racial disparities in birth outcomes (Goldfarb et al.,2018).
In Florida, there are several support services where preterm infants and families can obtain assistance. The Healthy Start System was enacted in 1991, and is considered to be the most comprehensive maternal and infant health care program. The main goal is to reduce infant mortality, reduce the number of low birth weight babies, and to improve health and developmental outcomes. Some of the key components are to identify pregnant women and infants at risk for adverse birth, health, and development outcomes. The services are outreach, care coordination. childbirth education, parenting education and support, nutrition counseling, tobacco education and cessation, breast feeding education and support, and interconceptional education and counseling. The Healthy Start initiative is to ensure that all pregnant women and all young children will have access to prenatal and child health care services necessary to reduce risk for poor outcome. Women and parents of children birth to 3 years who believe that they are in need for services, can also apply Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU.
floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/childrens-health/healthy-start/index.html#heading_4
References:
Floridahealth.gov. (2021).The Healthy Start Program. Retrieved from https://www.floridahealth.gov
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/10/1371/journalpone.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 form neonatal intensive care unit: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 15 (38). https://doi/10.1186/s12955-017-0602-3
Topic 1 DQ 1
Assessment Description
Describe the effect of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and community. Consider short-term and long-term impacts, socioeconomic implications, the need for ongoing care, and comorbidities associated with prematurity. Explain how disparities relative to ethnic and cultural groups may contribute to low-birth-weight babies. Identify one support service within your community to assist with preterm infants and their families and explain how the service adequately addresses the needs of the community or a population in your community. Provide the link to the resource in your post.
Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU sample 2
Based on recent studies, one out of every ten babies born in the United States is born early. Pre-term infant before 37 weeks is considered premature. The leading cause of infant mortality in the United States continues to be low birth weight and premature births. The percentage varies drastically for many cultural, ethnic, and racial groups. Babies born before term are at risk for a variety of medical issues. There really wasn’t enough time for them to mature within the mother. Problems are breathing independently, maintaining an average body temperature, lacking muscle tone, and, in some cases, reflexes to suck and swallow are among the symptoms they frequently exhibit. Sometimes babies just need a little time in the NICU to get fed and grow, but sometimes they have to stay there longer and run into problems. The risk of long-term problems increases with the gestational age at birth.
The common cause of infant mortality is delivery at a preterm stage. Advances in neonatal care and treatments for premature babies have made it much more likely for even the smallest babies to live.
Nonetheless, there are additional metrics that can be used to evaluate success. Babies born before 37 weeks are still at risk for several short- and long-term repercussions of premature delivery, including an increased chance of death.
Premature infants have a higher chance of developing significant health issues. *Premature infants that are barely four to six weeks old may have problems like trouble breathing, trouble eating, jaundice, and changes in how their brains work.
It is common for premature infants to need treatment in the NICU (NICU). More time will be spent in the NICU for premature infants born at an earlier gestational age since they are more likely to require life support.
Babies born prematurely have a greater chance of dying or being readmitted to the hospital after being discharged.Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU
Premature birth causes several complications, but respiratory distress and underdeveloped brains are two of the worst.
Premature babies often have trouble breathing and may need to be put on life support if they continue to have difficulty (ventilators). These babies may have trouble breathing in their first year of life, and they may be more likely to get asthma.
The brain develops very last among the primary body systems in infants. The baby’s brain keeps growing even after birth. When a baby is born pre term, there is a higher risk that bleeding or other stress symptoms will adversely affect the brain. The brain only weighs about two-thirds of its full-term weight at 35 weeks (approximately 40 weeks). This crucial brain development is disrupted if the child is born a few weeks early (outside the womb).
Babies born before term are at high risk for developmental delays, health problems, and even death later in life.
Late preterm (between 34 and 36 weeks) infants frequently experience long-term complications such as:
Issues with behavior and social interaction, difficulties in Learning
Possibility of developing ADD or other hyperactivity disorders (ADHD)
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is more likely to happen (SIDS)
There is an increased need for early intervention and special education services for children who are born prematurely.
Babies born prematurely face a greater danger of developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes later in life.
When many risk factors overlap, they can lead to preterm birth. Many other types of environmental, socioeconomic, societal, medical, and even biological elements have been hypothesized to play a role in its development. These tend to occur in clusters, especially for the poor and for members of racial and ethnic minorities.
Community-based interventions may involve: promoting healthier practices and care seeking among communities and families; recruiting and training local community people to work with qualified health-care professionals; including members of the public in service provision (diagnosis, treatment, and referral), among other possible activities. CHWS, TBAs, health campaigns, school-based health promotion, home-based care, and even community franchise-operated clinics are all examples of interventions that fall under these umbrella terms Low Birth Weight Babies Essay – NRS-434 Topic 1 DQ 1 GCU.
Low-resource communities need access to a whole spectrum of care, and community-based services play a crucial role in this. Women’s health, infant health, and child development are all intertwined. Babies delivered to moms who are hungry, sick, or otherwise not properly cared for are at increase risk for contracting and dying from preventable illnesses. When a mother dies while giving birth, it greatly increases the likelihood that her kid will not survive, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
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.
