Premature birth:
A vexing problem for black moms
| In a normal birth, the period of gestation is 37 to 42 weeks with a birth weight of at least five-and-a-half pounds. It may be possible to reduce or avoid some of the risks of a preterm birth. |
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Marilyn Simmons was more frightened than surprised.
Twenty-eight weeks pregnant at the time, she did not expect a problem. After all, she had a healthy baby boy a few years back without incident. But when her contractions became more and more frequent, she thought of her mother, who had a premature birth. That baby lived for only three days.
Anxiety aside, Simmons had more immediate problems. Her water had broken and she had begun dilating. Rushed to Boston Medical Center, Simmons was admitted on a Friday, and despite efforts by doctors to delay the birth, she delivered the baby that Monday morning. Full story
A high-risk miracle
For such a small woman, Tristan Thomas was one big walking risk factor.
She was about 18 when she had her first child, and by the time she was 25, she had had another — and a third was on the way.
Those decisions would not have been so bad if she hadn’t smoked marijuana or used cocaine for a large part of her adult life. Full
story
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November is Prematurity
Awareness Month
A closer look
Preterm or premature births, often coupled with low birth weight, are the most common cause of infant deaths in this country.
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