Impact Of Prematurity On Development Essay -- essays research papers

Impact of untimely Birth on DevelopmentYears ago, untimely birth almost always meant remainder for the baby. Today, however, we have the technology to nurture these infants development, and many of them survive to lead normal, respectable lives. Although, very(prenominal) premature infants (that is, those born before about the fifth month) ar still not likely to survive, many born at quin months and older will thrive. Some preterm babies, however, do have many obstacles to over pay back. there are a variety of medical problems that affect some of them, they may have impaired mental or physical specifications, and they may be looked upon by others in their environment as slow, or they might be treated differently be grounds they were premature. All of these parts, plus a few much than that will be discussed, affect the development of preterm infants into their adolescent years, and sometimes beyond. many an(prenominal) preterm babies are born with medical problems becau se they simply were not ready to come into the world yet. They will not have very developed crude reflexes, and they may look a little strange, with translucent skin, misshapen ears, and delightful hair covering their entire bodies. One of the biggest problems for premature infants is a condition called Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), in which the lungs do not produce teeming surfactant, which is the substance that keeps the airsacs in the lungs from collapsing. If not treated in time, the infants heading will become oxygen deprived, which would lead to death. It elicit cause some brain damage. some other condition that often affects premature babies is obvious Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). This happens when the ductus arteriosus, which connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta, doesnt close, leading to the infants line of business not being properly oxgenated. This can also lead to brain damage if not caught in time. Premature infants also may notwithstanding stop breathi ng, which is called apnea. This is why they must be closely monitored, for without close supervision, they could die. Another medical condition common to premature infants which affects the brain is Intraventricular Hermorrage, where the source vessels in the brain bleed. This affects most premature babies, but it is not very monstrous in most cases, and is easily treated. In more severe cases, it can be associat... ...nd minor had a better relationship, the child showed less behavioral disturbances than when the mother/child relationship was bad (Journal of Clinical infant Psychology, v.23 p 328-9). Typically, the more negative the environment, the less well-adjusted the premature child was. Another factor in their emotional development is the income of the family. In higher(prenominal) SES environments, the children were typically more well-adjusted. Birth weight is also a factor in this. The smaller the birth weight, the less emotionally adjusted and more behaviorally dist urbed the child will be. Levy-Shift and Gili Einat concluded that the reason why premature babies have these problems is that they are generally less intelligent than full terms. They had more trouble learning, which could lead to negative emotional reactions. They say that premature children sometimes have impaired neurological processes that underlie cognitive dysfunction which is pestilential to behavioral and emotional functioning (Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, v.23 p 329). Premature children are less responsive, less alert, and less active when they are babies, which can lead to a bad start to the mother-child relationship.