Preventing premature birth is the key to preventing most cases of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and other complications in newborns.
If you’re thinking of having a baby, there are a few simple measures you can take to reduce the risk of pregnancy problems and pre-term delivery.
Pre-Conceptual Planning:
• If you smoke, quit smoking before you conceive. Smoking can stop you from becoming pregnant and cause congenital abnormalities due to chromosomal damage. If you smoke during pregnancy, it can also cause developmental and respiratory issues in your baby and can contribute to premature birth and life threatening breathing problems. Babies born to mothers who smoke are often smaller and a lower birth weight than babies born to mothers who don’t smoke and they succumb to crib death at greater rates;
• Eat healthily with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and grains;
• Take regular exercise, even if it’s just walking a couple of times a week or going for a swim;
• Stop drinking alcohol prior to conception; and
• Take folic acid and a multi-vitamin supplement at least three months before attempting to get pregnant and for at least the first three months of pregnancy. Getting into good nutritional shape gives your body more of a chance of having a trouble free pregnancy and a healthy baby. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that pregnant mothers who took multi-vitamins had a 71% decreased risk of pre-eclampsia if they were not obese.
During Pregnancy:
• Take a vitamin C supplement. Another study found that pregnant women who took 100mgs of vitamin C daily during their pregnancy had a 44% decreased risk of premature rupture of the membranes (the waters breaking), which can lead to premature birth;
• Get regular urine checks to test for infection. Vaginal and bladder infections can trigger premature birth in some cases. Infection can be treated and prevented by regular bathing and use of a topical tea tree cream. Tea tree is safe for use during pregnancy. Drinking plenty of water can also prevent infection. You may be offered antibiotics and if the infection is detected during labor, you will be advised to have IV antibiotics;
• Say "no" to internal examinations during pregnancy unless there is a very strong medical reason to have one. In rare cases, internal examinations have caused premature rupture of the membranes. They also increase the risk of infection. Refuse or limit internal examinations during labor, except for those which are vital; and
• Don’t have drugs in childbirth. These can affect your baby’s breathing and heart rate.
After Birth:
• If your baby has had difficulty breathing, see if he can have CPAP instead of ventilation. This is gentler on the lungs than ventilation. Sometimes mechanical ventilation can cause bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This may not be possible if your baby’s condition is serious;
• Ask if you can give "kangaroo care" to your premature baby. This is skin to skin contact which helps regulate the heart, blood pressure and breathing; and
• Breast feed or give your baby breast milk through a nasal tube if he or she is too ill to suckle. Breast-fed babies recover from infections more quickly than formula-fed ones.
Sources: American Journal of Epidemiology 2006 164(5):470-477, Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005;81:859-63).
Joanna is a freelance health writer for The Mother magazine and Suite 101 with a column on infertility, http://infertility.suite101.com/
She is author of the book, 'Breast Milk: A Natural Immunisation' and co-author of an educational resource on disabled parenting, in addition to running a charity for people damaged by vaccines or medical mistakes.