Each year in the United States approximately 440,000 babies are born premature. These infants are at greater risk of death, and are more likely to suffer lifelong medical complications than full-term infants. Clinicians and researchers have made vast improvements in treating preterm birth; however, little success has been attained in understanding and preventing preterm birth. Understanding the complexity of interactions underlying preterm birth will be needed if further gains in outcomes are expected. The Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine sponsored a workshop to understand the biological mechanism of normal labor and delivery, and how environmental influences, as broadly defined, can interact with the processes of normal pregnancy to result in preterm birth. This report is a summary of the main themes presented by the speakers and participants.

The increasing prevalence of preterm birth in the United States is a complex public health problem that requires multifaceted solutions. Preterm birth is a cluster of problems with a set of overlapping factors of influence. Its causes may include individual-level behavioral and psychosocial factors, sociodemographic and neighborhood characteristics, environmental exposure, medical conditions, infertility treatments, and biological factors. Many of these factors co-occur, particularly in those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. While advances in perinatal and neonatal care have improved survival for preterm infants, those infants who do survive have a greater risk than infants born at term for developmental disabilities, health problems, and poor growth. The birth of a preterm infant can also bring considerable emotional and economic costs to families and have implications for public-sector services, such as health insurance, educational, and other social support systems. Preterm Birth assesses the problem with respect to both its causes and outcomes. This book addresses the need for research involving clinical, basic, behavioral, and social science disciplines. By defining and addressing the health and economic consequences of premature birth, this book will be of particular interest to health care professionals, public health officials, policy makers, professional associations and clinical, basic, behavioral, and social science researchers.

"What's happening to me? Is my baby going to be okay?" Maybe you're reading this guide because you've been told you're at high risk for having a premature baby. Or perhaps you're reading it after your baby's unexpectedly early birth, and you're wondering what the future holds for this incredibly tiny person. You'll find all the answers you need in this comprehensive guide for parents, the first book to fully discuss both coping with high-risk pregnancy and caring for your premature baby. Topics include: Managing the High-Risk Pregnancy: Stalling preterm labor, coping with bed rest, medications to help the baby The First Twenty-four Hours after Delivery: What to expect right after the baby's born, coping with insurance, and more Your Preemie's Growth and Maturation: What to expect in terms of physical appearance and development for 24-, 28-, and 32-week preemies The NICU: What the neonatal intensive care unit looks like, equipment and staff, and how to be a good NICU parent Bringing Your Preemie Home: Getting your home ready, managing anxiety, feeding your preemie, keeping Dad involved Later-Life Development: Health, growth, and cognitive and psychological development as your baby matures Prematurity and the Special Needs Child: How to help your child lead a full life Featuring the most up-to-date medical information available and filled with the voices of dozens of parents who've been in your shoes, this reassuring guide will help you make the best choices for yourself and your baby.

Medical professionals who are mothers of premature babies offer guidance for similarly situated parents, starting from bringing the baby home to putting the child in school. Illustrations.

A latest edition of a best-selling reference features a new design and expanded information on the preschooler years, in a guide that covers topics ranging from infant care and food allergies to sleeping habits and autism. Original.

For parents of the nearly 300,000 babies born prematurely each year, Susan L. Madden has written The Preemie Parents Companion .

A reassuring and realistic comprehensive guide to preemie medical care—now updated to reflect the many advances in neonatology. Preemies, Second Edition is the only parents’ reference resource of its kind—delivering up-to-the-minute information on medical care in a warm, caring, and engaging voice. Authors Dana Wechsler Linden and Emma Trenti Paroli are parents who have “been there.” Together with neonatologist Mia Wechsler Doron, they answer the dozens of questions that parents will have at every stage—from high-risk pregnancy through preemie hospitalization, to homecoming and the preschool years—imparting a vast, detailed store of knowledge in clear language that all readers can understand. Preemies, Second Edition covers topics related to premature birth, including: -What are your risk factors for having a premature baby? -Can you do something to delay early labor? -What do doctors know about you baby’s outlook during her first minutes and days of life? -How will your preemie’s progress be monitored? -How do you cope with a long hospitalization? -Are there special preparations for you baby’s homecoming? -What kind of stimulation during the first year gives your baby the best chance? -Will your preemie grow up healthy? Normal? Comprehensive and reassuring, Preemies provides the answers to questions that any concerned parent might have.