Friday July 8, 2011
Early results from a Scottish study suggest that abortion may increase the risk of preterm birth by as much as 73%. Although the results of this study are controversial and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, the study is large and the evidence seems compelling.
According to the research, led by Dr. Sohinee Bhattacharya, women who have had one miscarriage or abortion were about 34% more likely to have a preterm baby, and women who have had two are about 73% more likely to give birth early. Over 1 million birth records were reviewed for the study, which was presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Stockholm on July 5, 2011.
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Monday July 4, 2011
An About Preemies reader sent in the birth story of her son, Ethan. He was born over 2 months early after his mom suffered from a pregnancy complication called HELLP syndrome, which can be very dangerous if the baby is not delivered very quickly. Happily, mom and baby are now both doing fine.
We'd love to hear your preemie's story! You can share your preemie story here, or post it to the forum.
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Tuesday June 28, 2011
Most preemie books give parents lots of medical advice and information. They do a good job of explaining complicated NICU procedures, but all of their statistics and facts can be very scary to parents. Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child: The Emotional Journey is a different kind of book. Instead of explaining the medical aspect of having a preemie, it helps parents cope with the emotions they may be feeling.
If you're feeling lost, scared, or overwhelmed by parenting a premature baby, this book is a must read. It helps parents of preemies of all ages, from hospital bedrest until adulthood, to come to terms with premature birth and to be better parents to their preemies.
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Tuesday June 21, 2011
Supporting a friend who has a baby in the NICU is hard for people who have no experience with preemies. The NICU is a totally alien environment for most people, and it's almost impossible to imagine what the NICU experience is like unless you've been there yourself. Even if you mean well, it's easy to say the wrong thing. A group of moms from the preemie support group Inspire put together a list called "10 Things Not To Say To Parents Of Preemies" to help well wishers not to make comments that could accidentally offend. Even as an experienced NICU nurse, I'm sometimes guilty of making insensitive comments. Be sure to check out the whole list, but here are 3 comments that seem helpful but are not:
- At least you can sleep at night, with your baby in the NICU.
- Be glad you didn't have to go through the uncomfortable part of pregnancy!
- Everything happens for a reason
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