What is Driving the Surge in US Premature Births? $$?

Last week the CDC published yet again a scathing report card for moms and their yet again higher premature delivery rate, the reason the US infant mortality rate is worse than most developed countries both in Europe and Asia. Twenty-one countries rate better than the US.

Premature delivery is blamed on deficient prenatal care, obesity, smoking, early C-section, induced labor and fertility treatments. Even though that’s not the whole story, and all of these are preventable, at least to a degree. Moms low on the socioeconomic scale do not get enough prenatal care.  This could be minimized if health insurance coverage for maternity care was more affordable. Obesity: absolutely preventable if women exercised more and ate healthier foods. Obesity also starts in the womb for the child if mom eats too much or too little while pregnant. Smoking: definitely preventable! No woman in this day and age should be smoking. No man should be smoking near a pregnant woman. Early C-sections for any other reason than medical necessity should be banned.  Induced labor for any reason other than medical necessity should be banned.

Fertility treatments are a necessity for many women and makes focusing on maternal health so much more important, especially if mom is carrying multiple babies. It is not necessarily the fertility treatments that cause premature birth; it is the lack of good health habits in the mother. However, no woman should be allowed to carry more than three, as the health problems created for the babies are too great. Moms are having a tough enough time carrying one healthy baby, 4 or more is impossible. Our number one priority must be that of the health of the babies.

However, even “high risk” moms can have full term pregnancies if proper care is taken to exercise and eat right. In 17 years, I’ve seen many “high risk” moms deliver full term; twins, placenta previa, incompetent cervix, diabetes, hypertension, sever obesity, etc….with proper exercise and nutrition.

With the preemie rate now at almost 13% and rising, we need to focus on the “Lifestyle Factors” of women to prevent premature babies. A healthy vaginal full term delivery cost about $1,500, a C-section can cost $5,000-15,000. The first year of a healthy child costs about $5,000, and the first year of a preemie can cost up to $1.5 million. Not counting food, clothing, diapers etc…

In the last week, several articles were published on how micronutrients reduce prematurity and infant mortality (micronutrient: all individual vitamins and minerals, macronutrient: carbs, protein and fats) , omega fatty acid fish oils are needed for a healthy baby, Vitamin C, D and B vitamins are needed while pregnant, moms veggie rich diet helps baby prevent diabetes, prenatal exercise prevents premature delivery, and even the American Psychological Association came out with “A little know epidemic”: Stress may account for many preterm births. 

Stress can be a big problem in pregnancy and can be minimized with exercise, meditation and proper eating and sunning habits. Exercise, meditation, B vitamins, vitamin D (sunshine) and Omega fish oils all improve stress and possible depression levels.  Both stress and nutrient deficiencies are major causes of preeclampsia and prematurity, and must be addressed. Moms must exercise, eat better and take good complete, prenatal supplements. Unfortunately most women take prescription vitamins that only contain half of the needed nutrients and in synthetic form rather than natural forms as the synthetic versions are less expensive.  Many moms are unduly scared of fish and therefore deficient in omega fatty acids needed for a healthy baby. Vegan sources of DHA are not as good for baby’s development as fish sources that also contain the important EPA’s.

Processed foods, fried foods, artificial sweeteners, sugar and white carbohydrate foods, rob women and their babies of vital nutrition and harm metabolically, increasing the likely hood of gestational diabetes and hypertension. Personally I would ban all things sugar, fried and cola sodas as they are pure poison for pregnant moms and their growing babies.

Other issues that can be detrimental to the health of a growing baby are environmental toxins, but even with those, getting enough B vitamins like Folate and B6, and Selenium can counteract harmful effects of unfortunate exposure of the chemicals BPA from plastics and/or mercury.  Other consumed toxins can be medications. Such as commonly prescribed anti-nausea drugs, that has a side effect that prohibits absorption of Folate….the most important nutrient during pregnancy.

Even hygiene and especially dental hygiene can have tremendous effect on the health of a pregnancy. Gum disease has been shown to cause premature delivery.

With all this information at our disposal why is the preemie rate increasing in the US? Why is the US number 22 on the infant mortality rate list of developed countries with more than double the mortality rate than most European countries? Why are moms not taking better care of themselves in the US?

Last week, a premature infant summit was held in Los Angeles by MedImmune for doctors, NICU nurses, charity organizations, government entities and other health care professionals in the maternity field. My first concern was that it was FREE. From Valet parking, to breakfast, snacks, lunch and presentation… all my past conferences needed payment….Listening to presentation after presentation of statistic after statistic on our detrimental prematurity rate and talk of the need for more money to care for these infants without a single hint to the prevention of this problem, I not only got suspicious, I got angry. What was the point of wasting a whole day with all this we already knew…?  Without a solution…. Could all these people that care for preemies deliberately wanting to keep the preemie rate up to stay in business?

A professor of a very well regarded CA University raised his hand and voice for the need of prevention and helping moms to be healthier during pregnancy.  He was ignored, subject changed…. I raised my hand and voice for more effort on prevention and was met with the same treatment.  During the breaks between sessions, several other like-minded health professionals met with me with the same concerns.   Halfway through, I had enough, left and decided to check out MedImmune. It was not an organization, but a drug company that makes drugs for preemie babies…..with no vested interest in reducing the preemie rate.   This drug apparently reduces RSV, a respiratory virus that may happen to preemies. Preemies may need this drug, but I’d prefer if there were less preemies…. The drug’s side effects are: respiratory infections, ear infections, fever, sinus problems, abnormal heart rhythms, anaphylaxis, bruising, skin reactions etc…. or generally compromise the immune system of these children, leaving them vulnerable to flu’s and cancer later. But wait…the same company also makes flu vaccine and cancer drugs…..

With all this talk about the need for lower cost health care, our babies need to be born healthier, to reduce health cost of the future. This starts in utero.  Create healthier children and all of our costs will go down.

With drug companies spending 45% of their budget on advertising and the above type of “meetings”, (never did I think I would end up in one), drug prices could be almost halved if drug promotions were banned. Don’t let drug companies fool you with their R&D expense. Apparently they only spend 14% of their budget on R&D, as 90% of all drug research is done by medical schools, private research and the government that the drug companies then buys and sells…

Women, moms, whether pregnant or contemplating pregnancy, for a healthier baby your lifestyle is of utmost importance. Everything you do or don’t do, will affect the health of your baby. For fertility and a full term pregnancy and the healthiest baby; exercise, eat healthy, take your  vitamins, avoid all chemicals and toxins possible, drink lots of water, get plenty of rest and sleep. Don’t worry, be happy!

Yours in health, Birgitta Lauren www.expectingfitness.com  

Resources: American Psychological Association; Prenatal-health.com ; Mercola.com; Health Day News; Nutra Ingredients Europe;  The Truth about the drug companies.  By Marcia Angell.

 

Follow Birgitta Lauren on Twitter: www.twitter.com/healthybabies

Comments

[cinemaven]

Excellent article.

Neither of my boys were ready to be delivered at 9 months... both were 10 month babies coming a full 3 weeks after my due dates (which were accurate because I was seeing a fertility specialist and knew to the second when I conceived).
With my first son, our gynocologist tried to schedule me for a C section at 8 1/2 months when I was only 6 months pregnant because my son wasn't yet in place. I laughed and assured him that when I was ready to give birth, my son would have turned 100's of times. (I had thought he was joking) He became irate and told me that he would be on vacation for 3 weeks and wanted to get all of his deliveries in under the wire and that if I didn't get a section, I might not have him as my doctor. I let him know that I would be trying my best to have my son while he was on vacation since I'd rather have someone else as my doctor.

The medicalization of childbirth for profit has put our babies at risk.

[Martin 27514]

The typical portrait of a mother at risk of preterm delivery is "teenage, single, unemployed, smoker, who is under or overweight, may use cocaine, and, has had a previous preterm delivery".

The key is that she is at risk of infection from known and unknown sources

Known sources of infection include smoking, douching and multiple sexual partners. A much greater - unproven -source may be injuries to the nerves of the lower genital tract caused by persistent straining in labor, or, persistent straining in the bathroom. 1% of adults go to the bathroom successfully less than once per week; some only once per month !

Prevention, as you so rightly advocate, is a better diet, better bowel habit, better childbirth and avoid smoking, cocaine, multiple partners, etc. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months protects the infant from man diseases including T1DM, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and asthma among many others.

No country can afford this developing pandemic particularly with its continuing constant morbidity.

[FoonTheElder]

When you have the worst health care system in the developed world in terms of cost and quality, there should be no surprise when the health of its citizens starts dropping.

U.S. life expectancy has dropped to 42nd in the world and the divide between the haves and have nots is getting worse.

"The Measure of America reveals huge gaps among some groups in our country to access opportunity and reach their potential," said the report's co-author, Sarah Burd-Sharps. "Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living.

"For example, the state human development index shows that people in last-ranked Mississippi are living 30 years behind those in first-ranked Connecticut."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/17/internationalaidanddevelopment.usa

[ConstanceReader]

I simply can not let this statement pass without comment:

"Fertility treatments are a necessity for many women..."

I beg your pardon but fertility treatments are NEVER a necessity for a woman. Just as abortion is an individual choice, so is having a child. There is no law (yet) which dictates that every woman must get pregnant. There is no shortage of already-born children available for adoption. The human female body does not require pregnancy to live. The human species is not facing imminent extinction. There is not one single human on earth whose DNA is that precious.

[Birgitta Lauren]

You are going to deny a woman her innate maternal desire to bear her own child.....? wow! that is cold & cruel.

[violettefemme]

Co -sign, thank you!

[Kaduna]

Another reason for the increase in prematurity is the use of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy. There are many studies documenting pulmonary problems and withdrawal from the drugs in newborns. A study this year showed association of these drugs with premature births. We need to support women and not tell them to take drugs if they have psychological or social problems during pregnancy.

[Birgitta Lauren]

Absolutely. which is why i tried to just focus on how stress and depression can be prevented naturally. if i get started on my views on anti-depressants during pregnancy, being with what and who i know, this article would have been another 10 pages long.....