Premature births should worry us

A new report that 226,000 children are prematurely born in Uganda every year is not only worrying, but is also a wake-up call to everyone.
A premature birth, also known as preterm birth, is one where a baby is born before the 37th week of a pregnancy. The normal gestation period is 40 weeks.

This newspaper yesterday quoted Ms Santa Engol, the programmes manager of Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation, to have faulted parents on this.
“The number of premature births is worrying. Parents ought to be very careful about it. The major cause is negligent parents, who indulge in dangerous practices such as smocking and using illicit drugs. Poor nutrition and problems with the uterus are some of the other causes,” she said during celebrations to mark the World Prematurity Day in Kampala last Friday.

Other health reports indicate that vaginal infections are believed to be responsible for nearly 50 per cent of the cases because the infections can trigger vaginal contractions, resulting in premature birth. Other causes are thought to be stress, multiple births, and mothers carrying their first child when they are above 35 years, among others.
A 2004 review of 30 studies on the association between intimate partner violence and birth outcomes found that preterm birth are higher among abused pregnant women.

Yet when the child fortunately lives, a set of challenges sets in. For instance, doctors say babies born before nine months are much smaller, but also can have health issues that continue to affect them throughout their life. This may include, among others, developmental delays; chronic diseases of the respiratory tract; motor disorders, and attention disorders.

With that background, therefore, all stakeholders should wake up and hold this monster by the horns. All of us need to learn why premature births occur and also seek to get solutions towards better treatments to help those affected.

This will also be helped by the government or the relevant bodies by sensitising the public on the signs and symptoms of preterm labour and what they can do to stave off the anomaly. For instance, the World Health Organisation reports that such signs include four or more uterine contractions in one hour, vaginal bleeding in the third trimester, heavy pressure in the pelvis, or abdominal or back pain as some of the likely early indicators of premature births.

Besides those, a watery discharge from the vagina may indicate premature rupture of the membranes that surround the baby. Expectant couples must also – as a rule not an exception – not default on routine maternity checks so health personnel can detect such cases earlier.

It takes two to tango, and so must all of us. No mother or father loves to lose a pregnancy.

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