Premature Birth Linked to Some Unexpected Later Problems

1069 · 07-17-08, 06:02 PM

Premature Birth Linked to Some Unexpected Later Problems

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

WEDNESDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- Being born prematurely can lead to a host of long-lasting medical complications and may also affect other areas of life, such as education and income, even when no disability is apparent, a new study suggests.

In the July 17 issue of theNew England Journal of Medicine, Norwegian researchers report that babies born prematurely are more likely to have cerebral palsy, mental retardation and to need to receive disability payments.

More surprisingly, the researchers also found that when premature babies grew up, even if they had no identifiable disability, the youngest preemies were less likely to have a high income, more likely to be unemployed, more likely to receive Social Security benefits and less likely to become parents.

"The pessimistic view [of our study] is that we have demonstrated an increased risk for a broad spectrum of medical disabilities due to decreased gestational age, and for those without medical disabilities, a lesser but significant risk for a broad spectrum of social outcomes," said the study's lead author, Dr. Dag Moster, a neonatologist at the Haukeland University Hospital.

>snip<

The smallest babies -- those born between 23 and 27 weeks -- who survived with no apparent medical disabilities were also 10 percent less likely to finish high school, 20 percent less likely to have completed college, 20 percent less likely to have a high income, 20 percent more likely to receive Social Security benefits and 20 percent less likely to have become parents than babies born full-term.

>snip<

link

This is not news to me. I've been knowing this.
But in this case, there is no satisfaction in being right; in having my long-held understanding validated by the medical community.
Some children aren't meant for this world; when we defy nature and force them to stay, there are consequences. Mere survival must be viewed as triumph; our expectations must be adjusted accordingly.
In my family, premature birth is common, and we have a word to describe our premature loved ones: "half-baked".
As in, "What can you expect? He's only half-baked."
This is as good a term as any to describe what's wrong with people who were born too soon, even when nothing is diagnosably medically wrong.
They weren't meant to be. That's what's wrong with them. That they exist among us when they weren't supposed to is a joy and a triumph, a cause for celebration.
But don't expect much more from them than that.

DeeJayH · 07-17-08, 07:00 PM

OMG OMG OMG

abortions for everyone
abortions for everyone
save the children from having to endure such hardship
abortions for everyone

Summerwind · 07-17-08, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeeJayH

OMG OMG OMG

abortions for everyone
abortions for everyone
save the children from having to endure such hardship
abortions for everyone

A little premature, were you? Where was abortion discussed? Not at all, just that it would be of ultimate sensibility and care to appreciate that they are alive without expecting too much. No abortion? Premature birth used to be called miscarriage not so many years ago, still not the same as what is commonly referred to in the case of the term "abortion." So even if anyone was advocating not "saving" the lives of these premies, they wouldn't be advocating "abortion".

Comrade Ogilvy · 07-17-08, 07:50 PM

Quote:

In the July 17 issue of theNew England Journal of Medicine, Norwegian researchers report that babies born prematurely are more likely to have cerebral palsy, mental retardation and to need to receive disability payments.

More surprisingly, the researchers also found that when premature babies grew up, even if they had no identifiable disability, the youngest preemies were less likely to have a high income, more likely to be unemployed, more likely to receive Social Security benefits and less likely to become parents.

Hmmmm...my youngest son was a premmie... almost died in 1979..he graduated from MSU with a teaching degree and now makes big bucks in Japan ...Oh well!

American · 07-17-08, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1069

Premature Birth Linked to Some Unexpected Later Problems

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

WEDNESDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- Being born prematurely can lead to a host of long-lasting medical complications and may also affect other areas of life, such as education and income, even when no disability is apparent, a new study suggests.

In the July 17 issue of theNew England Journal of Medicine, Norwegian researchers report that babies born prematurely are more likely to have cerebral palsy, mental retardation and to need to receive disability payments.

More surprisingly, the researchers also found that when premature babies grew up, even if they had no identifiable disability, the youngest preemies were less likely to have a high income, more likely to be unemployed, more likely to receive Social Security benefits and less likely to become parents.

"The pessimistic view [of our study] is that we have demonstrated an increased risk for a broad spectrum of medical disabilities due to decreased gestational age, and for those without medical disabilities, a lesser but significant risk for a broad spectrum of social outcomes," said the study's lead author, Dr. Dag Moster, a neonatologist at the Haukeland University Hospital.

>snip<

The smallest babies -- those born between 23 and 27 weeks -- who survived with no apparent medical disabilities were also 10 percent less likely to finish high school, 20 percent less likely to have completed college, 20 percent less likely to have a high income, 20 percent more likely to receive Social Security benefits and 20 percent less likely to have become parents than babies born full-term.

>snip<

link

This is not news to me. I've been knowing this.
But in this case, there is no satisfaction in being right; in having my long-held understanding validated by the medical community.
Some children aren't meant for this world; when we defy nature and force them to stay, there are consequences. Mere survival must be viewed as triumph; our expectations must be adjusted accordingly.
In my family, premature birth is common, and we have a word to describe our premature loved ones: "half-baked".
As in, "What can you expect? He's only half-baked."
This is as good a term as any to describe what's wrong with people who were born too soon, even when nothing is diagnosably medically wrong.
They weren't meant to be. That's what's wrong with them. That they exist among us when they weren't supposed to is a joy and a triumph, a cause for celebration.
But don't expect much more from them than that.

I think "Liberal Mind Damage" is one of those later problems.

WI Crippler · 07-17-08, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1069

In my family, premature birth is common, and we have a word to describe our premature loved ones: "half-baked".
As in, "What can you expect? He's only half-baked."

Maybe its that attitude, and not the premature birth that is the problem.

And actually read this part....

Quote:

The smallest babies -- those born between 23 and 27 weeks -- who survived with no apparent medical disabilities were also 10 percent less likely to finish high school, 20 percent less likely to have completed college, 20 percent less likely to have a high income, 20 percent more likely to receive Social Security benefits and 20 percent less likely to have become parents than babies born full-term.

Thats called speculation. They draw a conclusion based on percentages that only take into account premature birth as the only difference for the 10-20% more likely cause. How many other aspects of society come into play determining why kids don't finish high school or complete college, or have higher income? More than one for sure. To draw conclusions like this, based on a singular aspect is an incomplete study.

Layla_Z · 07-17-08, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1069

[size="3"]
This is not news to me. I've been knowing this.
But in this case, there is no satisfaction in being right; in having my long-held understanding validated by the medical community.
Some children aren't meant for this world; when we defy nature and force them to stay, there are consequences. Mere survival must be viewed as triumph; our expectations must be adjusted accordingly.
In my family, premature birth is common, and we have a word to describe our premature loved ones: "half-baked".
As in, "What can you expect? He's only half-baked."
This is as good a term as any to describe what's wrong with people who were born too soon, even when nothing is diagnosably medically wrong.
They weren't meant to be. That's what's wrong with them. That they exist among us when they weren't supposed to is a joy and a triumph, a cause for celebration.
But don't expect much more from them than that.

I found your post offensive. Are you trying to say that it would be better if these children didn't exist? My daughter was born at 24 weeks and weighed a little over a pound and a quarter. She is six now and has no lasting effects except that she is small. To imply that she shouldn't exist because she might have trouble later in life is shameful and offensive.

1069 · 07-17-08, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Layla_Z

I found your post offensive. Are you trying to say that it would be better if these children didn't exist? My daughter was born at 24 weeks and weighed a little over a pound and a quarter. She is six now and has no lasting effects except that she is small. To imply that she shouldn't exist because she might have trouble later in life is shameful and offensive.

My younger son was nearly as premature as your daughter. He almost died a couple of times during his first year; had to have some surgery.
Once, just when I thought we were out of the woods medically speaking, I found him blue in his crib. He was in the PediICU for two weeks that time, while they tried to ascertain whether there was brain damage, and what the extent of it was.
Turned out, there was none. It was a miracle; I had discovered him almost immediately, apparently, after he stopped breathing. A commonplace, mundane miracle, as it turned out: one of the doctors at the hospital told me that this is common. Mothers will often sense that their babies have stopped breathing, even if they're in another room, and find them in time.
He had to be on an apnea monitor for awhile after that, but it never happened again.
By the time he was eighteen months, he was healthy; developmentally, he was on par. He never had another health problem in his life to date.
When he was six- like your daughter- I believed, like you, that he had no lasting effects.
I was correct only from a technical standpoint; nothing medically diagnosable was wrong with him.
I have an older son, too, who was born at term.
I see the difference every day of my life.

I don't know who you are, and don't care whether my words offend you.
Protecting the sensibilities of strangers is not one of my priorities.
If my words scare you, I'm sorry you're scared.
If they don't, I'm glad they don't. You're lucky if your daughter is unscathed, although I suspect it's too soon to know.

Somewhere in all this, there's a syndrome that hasn't been named yet; these children need services. What these services would consist of, I cannot imagine. I only know that they need them. Some form of early intervention.
It seems to me- and this is only the wild, instinctive guess of an uneducated person- that the problem might be with their nervous systems. Some problem so subtle that current technology can not yet detected it.

CaptainCourtesy · 07-18-08, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by American

I think "Liberal Mind Damage" is one of those later problems.

Moderator's Warning:

Stop trolling, American, or there will be further consequences.

CaptainCourtesy · 07-18-08, 03:14 AM

I recently read a news article that also showed evidence that those that are very premature have a higher incidence of shyness, autism, and social issues. In my experience, I have found this to be true.