Haynes 1

Kaswana Haynes
Mrs. Crist
October 6, 2016
English 4

Premature Babies
Having a healthy and full term baby is what every mother dreams of, but that can change
unexpectedly. Imagine going into labor at 35 weeks. A premature birth is a baby born before 37
weeks. Everyday there is a baby born premature, some have severe issues others do not. A
number of premature babies have to live with health and developmental issues for the rest of
their lives. While the medical field is advancing, premature births are still common. Although
some babies come out full term and healthy others suffer tremendously. Premature birth can lead
to health, developmental, and long term life issues.
One thing that parents fear is being told they are going into labor early and their child
has to be delivered before full term. Being born premature comes with many difficulties and one
is health issues. Premature babies are prone to developing many health issues such as,
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Chronic Lung Disease, Apnea and Bradycardia, Retinopathy of
Prematurity, Jaundice, and other health issues (Tommys Information). A premature babys
immune systems is extremely weak. Since premature babies are more prone to health issues they
have to stay in hospitals longer, for example Being born premature, the baby has a higher rate
of disabilities and even death (Tommys Information). Going into preterm labor puts the mother
and baby in harms way. Unfortunately, once a premature baby is born it is rushed to the NICU
and stabilized to determine if any special treatment is needed (Tommys Information). There are

Haynes 2

many safety measures taken when a baby is born premature for both mom and child. Premature
babies have many obstacles to face.
As a parent being told your child that has been born early and has not developed fully is
breathtaking. Babies born premature suffer from developmental issues due to being born before
full term birth. For instance Premature birth affects the way your child develops, and the earlier
your child was born, the higher the risk (Health Issues of Premature Babies). A baby not
being developed properly can affect their long term life. A premature babys stay is longer than a
full term babys stay in the hospital. One reason they keep them is because there can be some
delays in the development of motor skills among premature babies, partly due to treatments
when they are small, such as being on a ventilator (Health Issues of Premature Babies). Unlike
full term babies, premature babies are attached to machines and different tubes to help monitor
and keep them stable. Other than developmental problems, premature babies all suffer from
delays of function. Its stated that, If a baby's experiences in the unit prevents them from
developing appropriate muscle tone, this can have a delay effect (Health Issues of Premature
Babies). Premature babies suffer with developing different milestones.
As a parent being told that your child may suffer from life term issues is devastating.
Premature babies can suffer from different problems when they are born, and those problems can
affect their life forever. Particularly, Some of these problems may not show up for several years,
even into adulthood (Tremblay). Being born premature there comes with lifelong impacts.
Some children born premature have to depend on help the rest of their lives. For example,
Neurological disorders, like cerebral palsy, that affect the brain, spinal cord and nerves
throughout the body can have long term impact (Tremblay). Additionally, premature babies can
have hearing problems, eye problems, intestinal problems, and brain problems(Tremblay). There

Haynes 3

are many different life long problems that premature babies have to live with. Being told that
your child will be affected for the rest of their life is heartbreaking.
No one wants to go through the horrific thoughts of having a premature baby. Premature
births are and have been a very serious problem in pregnancies across the world. The health,
developmental, and life term issues is what is faced by premature babies on a daily basis. Some
kids born premature are not affected and live a healthy life, while some are affected drastically.
Being born premature may be a nightmare but can come out as a huge blessing. While no parent
dreams of having a premature baby, it does not have to define the babys life.

Works Cited

"Health Issues of Premature Babies." HealthyChildren.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
"Tommy's - Information and Support on Premature Birth." Tommy's. N.p., 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 17

Haynes 4

Oct. 2016.
Tremblay, Emmanuel, et al. "Delayed Early Primary Visual Pathway Development In Premature
Infants: High Density Electrophysiological Evidence." Plos ONE 9.9 (2014): 1-9.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.