Prematurity Awareness Month & Day

November is Prematurity Awareness Month and November 17th is Prematurity Awareness Day.......this is something that is very near and dear to my heart and makes me think about our miracle boy, mister Ethan Glenn! Let's take a trip back to 2007...... I was 27 weeks and 2 days along when I was told that Evan & Ethan we're going to enter the world the next day, I was scared shit less literally and could not believe that we were about to be parents to micro-preemies and even thou we already knew our sweet Evan was an angel we were still scared for Ethan and all the obstacles that he was going to endure the next 3 months. He was born at 1019am weighing in at a whooping 1 pound 15 ounces and was 13 1/2 inches long. He was rushed to the NICU and placed on a ventilator. He remained on the ventilator for 2 1/2 days then was switched to a cannula. He went thru 2 blood transfusions, had jaundice and went tanning for a few days, had to learn how to suck, swallow, and breathe all at the same time. Ethan was there a total of 61t days and we only missed going to visit him 2 times because we we're so sick. He came home on my birthday, Feb. 17th, 2008 4 pounds 7 ounces! Being the mother of a preemie meant more than anything in the world because not only was he a miracle but I also got to spend an additional 13 wks with him that most mothers don't get. He had to eat sitting up, had to be woken up every 2 hrs to eat again, and developed slower about 3 months behind which was totally expected since he was 3 months early. I can honestly say that now almost 4 years old, you can not even tell that he was a preemie, let alone that he was behind. he is the smartest little boy and makes every day of my life AMAZING!










GOD BLESS MY MIRACLE BOY & HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL FROM ABOVE!!! ♥ Mommy loves you both ♥

Some interesting facts about preemies....

More than 70% of premature babies are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation, 12% are born between 32-33 weeks, 10% are born between 28-31 weeks and 6% at less than 28 weeks gestation.

Taken from www.marchofdimes.com website:

Premature birth

Most pregnancies last around 40 weeks. Babies born between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy are called full term. Babies born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy are called premature. In the United States, about 12.8 percent of babies (more than half a million a year) are born prematurely (1). The rate of premature birth has increased by 36 percent since the early 1980s (1).

Premature birth is a serious health problem. Premature babies are at increased risk for newborn health complications, such as breathing problems, and even death. Most premature babies require care in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU), which has specialized medical staff and equipment that can deal with the multiple problems faced by premature infants.

Premature babies also face an increased risk of lasting disabilities, such as mental retardation, learning and behavioral problems, cerebral palsy, lung problems and vision and hearing loss. Two recent studies suggest that premature babies may be at increased risk of symptoms associated with autism (social, behavioral and speech problems) (2, 3). Studies also suggest that babies born very prematurely may be at increased risk of certain adult health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease (4).

When are most premature babies born?

More than 70 percent of premature babies are born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation (1). These are called late-preterm births. Late-preterm babies account for most of the increase in the premature birth rate in this country. A 2008 study found that cesarean sections (c-sections) account for nearly all of the increase in U.S. singleton premature births, and this group had the largest increase in c-section deliveries (5).

About 12 percent of premature babies are born between 32 and 33 weeks gestation, about 10 percent between 28 and 31 weeks, and about 6 percent at less than 28 weeks gestation (1).

All premature babies are at risk for health problems, but the earlier a baby is born, the greater the risk for serious complications. Babies born before about 32 weeks gestation usually are very small, and their organs are less developed than those of babies born later. Fortunately, advances in obstetrics and neonatology (the branch of pediatrics that deals with newborns) have improved the chances of survival for even the smallest babies.

What happens when babies are born at less than 28 weeks?

Fewer than 1 percent of babies in this country are born this early, but they have the most complications (1). Most of these babies are born at extremely low birth weight (less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces). Almost all require treatment with oxygen, surfactant and mechanical assistance to help them breathe.

These babies are too immature to suck, swallow and breathe at the same time, so they must be fed through a vein (intravenously) until they develop these skills. They often cannot cry (or you cannot hear them due to the tube in their throat) and they sleep most of the day. These tiny babies have little muscle tone, and most move very little.

Babies born this early look very different than full-term babies. Their skin is wrinkled and reddish-purple in color and is so thin that the blood vessels underneath can be seen. Their face and body are covered in soft hair called lanugo. Because these babies have not had time to put on fat, they appear very thin. Most likely, their eyes are closed, and they have no eyelashes.

These babies are at high risk for one or more of the complications discussed above. However, most babies born after about 26 weeks gestation do survive (about 80 percent at 26 weeks), although they may face an extended stay in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) (13).

Survival rates can vary greatly depending on factors other than gestational age. Factors that can improve survival rates include higher birth weight, female sex, history of prenatal treatment with corticosteroids (drugs that speed lung development) and singleton birth (not part of a twin or other multiple birth) (14). Unfortunately, about 25 percent of these very premature babies develop serious lasting disabilities, and up to half may have milder problems, such as learning and behavioral problems (15).