NRS 434 Describe the effect of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and community

 NRS 434 Describe the effect of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and community

Low birth weights have both short term and long-term effects on babies, as well as the family unit they are born into. Premature birth refers to those who are born before the 37th week of gestation and weigh less than 5 pounds 8 ounces (March of Dimes, 2021). If an infant is born with a weight that is less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces, it is considered to have extremely low birth weight (Van Lieshout, et al., 2021). These infants have a higher risk of death than those born at full term. Both short gestations and low birth weight are amongst the top ten causes of infant mortality. Some risk factors for low birth weight include race, age, multiple birth babies, socioeconomical status, and the parents’ health. Accroding to the article Low Birthweight African American babies have double the risk for low birth weight, teen mothers chance having low birthweight babies, and over 50% of multiple birth babies are born with low birth weights. In addition, mothers who have illicit drug use, alcohol use, and tobacco use, and those of the lower socioeconomic status are also have a greater risk for giving birth to low birthrate babies (CHOP, 2021). Other factors can include a lack of access to adequate healthcare for the lower income populations. Some of the short-term impacts for babies birth with low birth weights are the inability to regulate their temperature, decreased oxygen levels, respiratory distress syndrome as a result of immature lungs, issues with the GI tract, as well as neurological problems (March of Dimes, 2021). Long-term impacts on these infants can be diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, developmental disabilities, and obesity (March of Dimes, 2021). In the article Extremely Low Birth Weight and Accelerated Biological Aging, there is a reference to a study that shows that extremely low birth weight males show an accelerated aging pattern in comparison to males who were born at a higher birth weight (Van Lieshout, et al., 2021).

In my community, the Cleburne Pregnancy Center offers a no cost service where they provide free and confidential services, such as pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, as well as offering educational counseling. They are a wonderful resource to the community and strive to assist women find appropriate healthcare during pregnancy regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or past history. More information is available at the website: https://cleburnepc.com/

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [CHOP]. (2021). Low birthweight. https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/low-birthweight

March of Dimes. (2021). Preterm labor & premature birth: Low birthweight. https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/low-birthweight.aspx

Van Lieshout, R. J., McGowan, P. O., de Vega, W. C., Savoy, C. D., Morrison, K. M., Saigal, S., Mathewson, K. J., & Schmidt, L. A. (2021). Extremely Low Birth Weight and Accelerated Biological Aging. Pediatrics, 147(6), e2020001230. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-001230