Title: Prematurity Awareness: What It Really Means - Hand to Hold
Headings: Prematurity Awareness: What It Really Means
Prematurity Awareness: What It Really Means
Facts about prematurity
Prematurity awareness: What we want you to know
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Content: Babies born earlier than 37 weeks are at an even higher risk for conditions such as brain bleeds, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and more. Preterm birth happens for a variety of reasons, but there is often no known cause for premature labor. What is a little harder for some to understand is it doesn’t end when you leave the hospital. Parents can experience guilt, depression, and even PTSD for months and years after their NICU journey has ended. Prematurity can result in learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and other long-term problems that cannot be predicted upon discharge. Up to 45 percent of infants weighing less than 3 1/4 pounds at birth have one or more abnormalities on testing at school age ( source ). Many of Hand to Hold’s “first families,” the ones that came to us when we began providing peer support six years ago, now have school-aged children and are having to navigate the world of testing, 504 accommodations, and Individualized Educational Plans. Arming yourself with facts is one of the best ways to spread awareness of prematurity. But it’s also important to realize that experiencing prematurity is about so much more than facts. It’s about emotions and hardships.