NEW YORK, June 16, 2008
What's Behind The Preemie Trend?
As Premature Birth Numbers Soar, Experts Look For Ways To Stop It
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Play CBS Video Video Preventing Premature Births Over the last 25 years, the U.S. has seen a 30 percent spike in the number of premature births. Dr. Emily Senay reports on the nation's efforts to tackle this alarming trend.
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(AP)
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Rebecca Noto was born at 26 weeks and then spent five months in intensive care. She still faces expensive medical challenges.
"We consider Rebecca our million-dollar baby," said her father, Tom Noto. "Literally."
Now 4 1/2 years old, Rebecca is developmentally delayed. She uses a feeding tube, has problems with her lungs and can't climb stairs, CBS News medical correspondent Emily Senay reports.
"We don't know whether the delays that she has today are still going to be with her in five-to-10 years time," said her mother, Elaine Noto.
And, she part of an alarming trend.
"The United States is one of the worst of the developed countries in the rate of prematurity," said Dr. Alan Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes.
According to Fleischman, one out of every eight babies is now born too early, and that costs the United States about $26 billion a year.
"We need to decrease the numbers of sick babies in our midst. We can't continue to increase prematurity," he said.
The federal government is hoping to reverse the trend, which experts say has many causes, including:
"A woman was supposed to have a baby after 40 weeks," said Dr. Alfred Khoury, director of maternal fetal medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia.
Khoury runs the high-risk pregancy unit at one of the nation's busiest labor and delivery hospitals. He worries women are becoming cavalier about delivering early.
"What we have done is we've started saying well, 37 is good enough," Khoury said. Patients will say: "'My mother in law is flying is and I'd like to have my c-section this week instead of in 2 weeks.'"
So Inova Fairfax no longer allows elective deliveries before 39 weeks.
Neonatologist Robin Baker says late preemies face developmental problems, just like babies born much earlier.
"And it's not uncommon for them to come out and still have respiratory problems. You know this infant still is at risk of dying. Just because they are born slightly preterm doesn't' take the risk to zero."
So today's surgeon general's conference is hoping to come up with an action plan by tomorrow.
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- After watching the segment about unexplainable rates of premature births among Afican American, I did some research from the CDC because I was aware that having an abortion may have the complication of causing premature births later on down the road. The reported abortions from that Center in 2004 indicated that 38% of all abortions are performed on African Americans, who compromise only 13% of the U.S. population. Check it out, CBS News.
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- EM1976 ALL I CAN SAY IS ADOPTION IS A SAFE AND COMPASSIONATE ALTERNATIVE TO HAVING CHILDREN WHO MAY SUFFER HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
YES SELFISH SEEMS FITTING AND I NEVER TAKE CHILDREN FOR GRANTED BUT THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE GIVES. - Reply to this comment
- In response to mtngurl8, there are very serious reasons why parents allow multiple embryos to be implanted. The cost is astronomical and *not* covered by insurance in most states so couples can only afford to try once. As someone who has fertility issues, I find it incredible that insurance will not at least partially cover the procedure. If we don''t receive help up front then insurance ends up paying on the other end in the form of multiple preemies. And *do not* call these parents selfish, we are devestated and have to look other parents in the face every day for something they take for granted. They are refinancing mortgages and having their lives turned upside down for something that you and others take for granted.
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- The drug culture is finally catching up to us. Ladies and gentlmen what you put did in your body in your younger days can stay with the rest of your life.
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- I suspect that all the hormones farmers are allowed give livestock in order to artificially beef them up, has something to do with it. Anyone who consumes meat consumes these hormones and antibiotics and science has yet to show they have no effect on humans when taken like this.
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- Invitro needs to be regulated. It is ridiulous to allow multiple embryos to be implanted . unfair and unhealthy for the babies and selfish and irresponsible of the parents-instead of celebrating these dangerous births we should hold the parents and doctors responsible when there are problems.
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